Persona: the Nameless
by MoldyJellyBean
Summary: A new and unlikely group of persona users has begun to assemble in the small, suburban town of Glasswater. Noah Scofield—an idealistic adolescent and an inexperienced Wild Card—takes it upon himself to do what few others are capable of. Will he be able to prevent the growing darkness that threatens to corrupt the places and the people he loves?
1. Chapter 1, Reflection

Chapter 1 — Reflection

Noah Scofield drummed his fingers on a passenger table seat as the engine of the airplane he was currently aboard roared to life. A quiet sigh slipped past his pursed lips as he looked out the side window, past two passengers that were seated to his left. One—an old, snoring gentleman—was dressed in luxurious business wear while the other—a young, energetic woman wearing thick rimmed glasses—pounded away at the keys to her laptop. Noah was not on this plane because he wanted to be. His mother was a business administrator and her job called for multiple, spontaneous trips to distant, foreign lands. This particular trip required her presence in some big city in Japan. Noah could not be bothered to remember where, exactly, she was headed. All he knew was the discontent he often dealt with at the expense of his mother's frequent trips overseas.

The captain of the aircraft's voice suddenly rose over the intercom amidst the passenger's squabbling. "_Would all passengers please fasten their seatbelts as takeoff will commence shortly. Thank you_." The intercom clicked off as Noah shut his eyes and hoped to whatever God would listen to him that when he opened them, he would awake in his bed back at home. Familiarity was a rare comfort given his mother's lifestyle, and he was always thankful whenever he came to know its recognizable warmth. Noah opened his eyes. To the surprise of absolutely no one, he was still in the airplane.

The airplane he was on was currently headed to some small town out in the Eastern hemisphere of the United States.

_Glasswater? I think that was the name… _Noah pondered silently. Whatever the town's name was, he was going to be living there with his aunt and her husband for the duration of his junior year in high school until his mother returned from her business trip overseas.

For as long as Noah could remember, he had lived without a father. From what he had come to understand from the few times his mother was willing to discuss their father, he had abandoned them while Noah was still too young to remember him. Every now and then, foggy visions of an older man's face would surface in his dreams, but he had never been able to clearly identify who the man was behind the cloud. It wasn't exactly a mystery Noah found himself eager to solve as he had little reason to pursue his father. Some people dedicated a good deal of their lives trying to figure out why their fathers were so discouragingly inadequate.

Noah could honestly care less.

He loved his mother dearly, even if they did spend precious little time together, and as far as he was concerned she was the only parent worth his affection. Noah shook his head and rattled his skull, trying to prevent his attention from focusing too deeply on subjects that wounded his emotions. It was a terrible habit of his and he wished that it was something he wasn't so good at.

A frown crossed Noah's lips as he placed his chin in his palm and glanced down the aisle. One of the airplane's flight attendants strutted down the slim walkway, sidling her way past passengers getting into their seats and other passengers storing their luggage into the overhead compartments. Noah's frown deepened as he observed some distinctive irregularities about her appearance. Her hair was an eerie, almost otherworldly silver-white. Sleek, shiny bangs obscured half of her face, but the half that Noah could see was alluringly beautiful in a peculiar, hard-to-pinpoint sort of way. Her uncovered eye was a striking golden-yellow, and she wore a thin, unassuming smile on her elegantly constructed face. She wore a murky-blue suit with a yellow tie complimenting her neckline, as well as a rose-pattern set of stockings on her legs. Noah's eyes unconsciously followed her as she made her way to the captain's cabin… but just as she passed him, her eyes met his for just a split-second. Noah's heart stopped in his chest.

_Why does it feel like she's reading me like a book? _Noah wondered to himself. Time seemed to come to a standstill as her eyes locked onto his. As soon as the moment came, however, it faded away, and like that she was gone. Noah blinked as she disappeared behind a set of drapes.

_What the hell was that all about? _Noah thought.

"Excuse me?"

Noah jumped and turned around. At some point in their visual encounter, his head had swiveled around to follow the mysterious woman until she had disappeared out of sight. In doing so, his body had come to block half the aisle. A small girl with long, chocolate-brown hair and glistening, emerald eyes waited for him to move his body out of her way. Noah smiled sheepishly and settled back into his seat.

"Sorry. I got a little distracted."

"S'okay! At least you apologized." The girl smiled a big, toothy grin and she clutched a velveteen rabbit to her chest. Some of her teeth were missing, he noticed. Noah thought it was a cute smile, and he returned it with one of his own. She shuffled past him and seated herself further down the airplane next to a woman Noah could only assume was her mother. Noah cleared his lungs and tried to get comfortable as lights flickered on above him, warning him to fasten the seatbelt he had already fastened. His weight shifted slightly as the airplane began to turn on the runway. The scenery Noah could observe out the small window to his left shifted as well. Green, rolling fields blurred together with black pavement and other airplanes across the distance. The plane began to pick up speed, it's momentum climbing higher and higher until the airplane lifted up and began it's ascend into the azure.

Noah's hearing muffled as the effects of rising into the atmosphere took its toll on his eardrums. The aircraft rattled erratically for a few good, long minutes as it rose higher and higher into the sky. The scenery of the airport just a moment ago was replaced with rolling white fields of bright, puffy clouds. Noah tapped his hand against his ear when the plane stabilized and his hearing gradually returned to normal.

_There isn't much sense worrying about the future at this point. _Noah thought in a dreamlike haze. _I'm just going to have to adjust to it… like I always end up doing. _His eyelids began to flutter shut as sleep began to take hold of his conscious.

As Noah's mind fell prey to his dreams, strange, outlandish visions started to present themselves. In these dreams, he saw vast, horrid creatures looming over his comparatively small, frail body. In these dreams, he shrunk into a tight ball, crying, hoping these monsters would leave him alone. In these dreams, he died again and again, alone and afraid, unable to take control of his fate each and every time the monsters tore away at his flesh. In these dreams, the scenery was always dreary and dark and feelings of utter despair and hopelessness soured his thoughts.

_Why won't they leave me alone? _Noah sobbed. _Why are they bothering me? _

Suddenly, in the darkness, a bright, golden light descended slowly from above. In the darkness, Noah caught glimpses of terrible creatures, the stuff of nightmares. In the darkness, Noah saw a row of unstable, flickering forms, shielding him from the monsters, keeping them at bay. In the darkness, the light hovered before him. It was warm to the touch. It was soothing, safe, and secure. Noah smiled as he knew exactly what this felt like. The word reached his lips before his brain.

"Familiar." As soon as he spoke the words, the light in front of him pulsed violently until a physical form began to take shape within. Noah shielded his eyes and peeked through his fingers, watching the transformation take place. A single sheet of paper hovered in front of him, as well as an ornate, murky blue quill. There was just one line of thought written in the middle in elegant, graceful handwriting. Oddly enough, his mind wandered to the strangely dressed woman he saw in what felt like moments ago.

_Will you take responsibility? _

Noah bit his lip and stared at the dotted line beneath the words. He would do anything to dispel the crushing darkness that surrounded him. Even though he wasn't exactly sure what this sheet of paper was asking of him, Noah grabbed the quill anyway and hastily scribbled his name onto the dotted line. His signature was messy and wobbly, but Noah felt like he had done something right. He felt a burning aura of strength echo within him, and it swelled and grew until the monsters screamed and thrashed and the row of forms in front of him took shape.

For an instant, Noah saw the backs of people he had never seen before, people he did not recognize. Noah wanted to turn them around and see their faces and thank them for their protection, but just as the darkness dissipated and the light exploded, illuminating his dream in a swath of vibrant color, Noah awoke.

**! ! !**

"Sir? Sir, are you awake?"

Noah aroused with a start, the bright overhead lights blinding him almost immediately. When his eyes refocused, he looked up and met the worried gaze of a concerned flight attendant. Her hand was on his shoulder and her eyebrows were creased into an expression of genuine alarm. Once she noticed he was well and wide awake, she sighed and removed her hand.

"Thank God! You were asleep for the longest time and I was starting to worry that you might be dead or something. The other passengers next to you didn't want to wake you up, and—"

A flash of white hot pain suddenly seared in Noah's head. Images from the bizarre dream he had experienced blazed with an unbearable intensity and it took all of his strength to stop himself from vomiting from the mental strain. The attendant was saying things to him, touching his forehead, holding the back of his head, but he did not experience any of her furtive worrying. He remembered strange creatures, a contract, and people he had never seen before. No matter how hard he focused on the images, their faces never appeared. As the pain gradually faded into a dull murmur, so too did the imagery from the dream. When he managed to regain his composure, he raised his hand up, pushing the attendant's arms away from him.

"I'm fine. It was just a headache." Not surprisingly, his words did little to undo her scowl. Noah smiled. "Thank you for your concern. I'll be leaving now."

The attendant sighed and pulled down his luggage for him, wishing him a good afternoon. Upon closer inspection, Noah observed that it was not the same attendant he had seen earlier. Taken one step further, this woman was not wearing a yellow necktie nor was her suit the same shade of blue as the woman he had made eye contact with. Dozens of questions sprang up in his mind, but the flight attendant was already making her way towards the back of the plane. He looked out the window as he fixed his ruffled clothing. The sun was setting on the horizon and stragglers from the airplane were heading towards the luggage conveyor belts in the passenger receiving bay. Noah only brought one bag, but most of the clothing that he owned was crammed inside of it. He was very much aware of the nightmares unlucky passengers endured at the hands of faulty mismanagement, and he was thankful he didn't have to deal with potential lost luggage. Noah shouldered his bag and stepped off onto the passenger dock until, out of the blue, he stopped in his tracks.

A sick, twisted sensation bubbled in the pit of his stomach. His knees quivered and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His hands became cold and clammy and the color slowly drained from his face.

Noah hoisted his bag tightened his belt, then burst into a full-on sprint, keeping an eye out for the nearest bathroom.


	2. Chapter 2, The Velvet Room

**Author's Note: **I added a small section at the end of Chapter 1, so if the beginning of this chapter seems a little confusing, go and read the revised chapter. Thank you to anyone who's giving this story a chance! It's tough for OC-centric material to get attention here and anyone who's with me on this journey is a welcome companion.

* * *

Chapter 2 – The Velvet Room

Noah skidded to a stop in front of a door with the universal logo for 'male restroom' embedded. He heaved a sigh and wrapped his hand around the door knob. For some odd reason, he stopped there and looked at the silver handle. A blue, ethereal light flickered and danced on its rotund edges. Noah knew that the handle was not the device creating this eerie effect. It was coming from somewhere else. His head turned slowly to the right, his mind telling him to stop and to just go and do his business. His heart, on the other hand, sang an entirely different tune. It willed him to look where he did not think to look at first, to step back and see the bigger picture. Finally, he saw it. There, at the end of the long stretch of empty hallway, was the oddest sight Noah had ever seen while fully conscious. Noah rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was still stuck in that awful nightmare. Sure enough, he was awake.

A blue door stood imposingly at the end. Light filtered out from underneath and around the edges, beckoning him to come forth. Thin trails of smoke spilled out onto the floor. The door itself was elegantly crafted. Its intricate golden designs spoke volumes of the hands that constructed it. Goosebumps appeared on Noah's arms as he inched closer and closer, thoughts of his once-then essential trip to the bathroom replaced with an insatiable thirst for whatever lie beyond the door.

Noah found himself before its incongruent majesty before he knew it. He rested his hands on the ornate, golden handle, feeling its symmetry and complexities between his fingertips. Noah knew nothing of what he was about to get himself into, but he was past the point of caring as he pushed the handle and was consumed in a torrent of heavenly, white light.

**! ! !**

Little by little, the light began to fade away.

He did not know when and he did not know how, but Noah found himself seated on a comfy, cushiony dark red couch. At no point did Noah remember the actual, physical act of seating himself, but he figured there were more important things to worry about now that he knew he was prone to the allure of mysterious, blue doorways. Some part of Noah recognized that there were others seated in the room with him, but he could not help but sit in awe of the unearthly surroundings contiguous to his position.

The room Noah found himself in was circular in shape, and the ceiling rose to infinity. If there was a ceiling present, it was not immediately obvious to the naked eye as it extended into a pitch-black hole of dusk. The 'wall' of the room—if you could even call it that—was what appeared to be a two-way glass pane that also did not seem to have an identifiable end, as with the ceiling. Behind the glass was a literal ocean that went as far as his eye could see. All manner of sea life swam to and fro in a symphony of gills and fins. There was something off about how much marine life was packed together within the vicinity of the glass pane. It was almost as if they were watching the people within the room. The thought of being watched by schools of fish struck Noah as a rather humorous idea, and he stifled a laugh.

There was no traditional source of light to be found within the room. What light was to be had came, instead, from the ocean surrounding it. Though Noah could not see the surface of the water, the water itself seemed to glow unnaturally and incandescently turquoise. Noah found the atmosphere of the room soothing, and he was tempted to lie back and shut his eyes.

_This is a lot better than having a nightmare in a mile high club. _Noah thought, his eyelids fluttering shut.

Suddenly, a whimsical voice spoke up, causing Noah to snap to attention.

"Ahem."

Noah's eyes traveled down to the center of the room whereupon he spotted a balding, old creature staring at him beneath heavy, focused brows. Thick, red veins colored the corners of the old man's white eyes and a comically long nostril protruded above a pair of gloved, white hands folded over his lips. Even still, Noah could see a capricious smile tugging at the corners of the man's lips as the old man spoke again.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." The old man practically sang as he spoke. Noah's first instinct was to ask the old man whether or not he was dreaming, but something about doing that struck him as silly and unnecessary. He resigned himself to a listener's role, choosing to drink in the old man's words rather than object to them. It felt better to Noah that way. This place seemed like an otherworldly realm in which the old man commanded a great deal of power, and Noah could feel that energy well.

The old man pointed to himself lazily, his Cheshire grin unflinching. "I am Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This," his hand suddenly pointed to his left and Noah followed its line of sight, "is Faith, my personal assistant, and a guide to help you in the coming days."

Noah jumped the moment he laid eyes upon Igor's assistant. His knees hit something solid, and he winced in pain. There was a circular table standing in the center of the room. Noah did not know how he had not noticed it's presence before, but he was painfully aware of it now. He rubbed his kneecaps and tended to his wounded pride as Igor laughed, heartily. Noah had to give Igor some credit; the old man had an excellent poker face. He found it difficult to tell whether Igor's laugh was one of lighthearted mockery or one of genuine amusement. Whatever the case, Noah was still shocked. He had seen Faith just hours ago in a place that somehow felt more like fantasy than reality.

She was the oddly dressed flight attendant he had made eye contact with.

Igor seemed to know this and his wide grin grew even wider. "No doubt you have already met my attendant. She says she was curious about the new Wild Card and wished to observe him in person before our official… congregation." His body did not move, but his bloodshot eyes did, darting left in order to observe Faith at a side-glance. "How did you find him?"

Faith thoughtfully tapped a finger against her chin, appearing lost in thought for a few moments before she looked down at Noah across the table. Her golden eyes narrowed.

"Disappointing."

Although Noah had not known Faith for very long, her words still hurt and he found his confidence shot. Noah made a move to object to her words. How could she know who he was as a person from a single glance? But Igor simply laughed at her response and waved it away like some kind of annoying gnat.

"Do not mind her. You will find as you continue to return here that she is a difficult one to please. Now then…" Igor adjusted his cufflinks and swiped an arm over the table. Cards lined the borders of the table, appearing out of thin air. Noah watched in awe as they turned and shuffled of their own accord. Igor made a beckoning motion with his hand and the cards gathered into a single, neat stack at the center of the table.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?"

The question caught Noah off guard. By this point, Noah was certain Igor knew that he went to the bathroom sitting down rather than standing up, as well as other embarrassing, emasculating secrets. His name was the last thing he expected to be asked about. Nonetheless, he answered truthfully.

"I'm Noah Scofield."

Igor nodded, his eyes closed. "This place exists between dream and reality… It is a room only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter."

Noah's thoughts wandered to his nightmare, and the golden contract that he had signed at the end. He remembered how comforting it was, and how it had dispelled the darkness once he had engraved his name onto the dotted line.

Igor smiled at Noah's expression, almost as if he could read his mind. "Tell me, do you believe in fortune telling?" Igor didn't wait for an answer as he extended his fingertips, placing a row of cards face down. Igor snapped his fingers, and one of the cards on the table flipped over in response. He glanced at it, and then looked back at Noah.

"Temperance, in the upright position. This card represents 'harmony' or 'equilibrium'." Igor snapped his fingers again and another card revealed itself. "The card representing the future beyond that is… Judgment, in the upright position." A look of uncharacteristic concentration passed over Igor's face as he lost himself in deep thought. "It appears you will encounter a good deal of others like yourself who will help you forge a path towards a future of your own choosing. You will come to cherish many in the coming months, and a great disaster will befall you and your loved ones. Very interesting…"

_Others like me? _Noah thought, breathlessly. _Loved ones? What is Igor talking about? _

"In the coming days," Igor continued, "you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… if you fail to stop the rising tide of darkness, you and the ones you will soon come to know may lose your way for eternity. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests, to ensure that does not happen." Igor's trademark smile has returned by the end of his speech, and he raises a hand in dismissal.

"Until then, farewell…"

The bright, blinding white light began to fill his vision once again. Noah surrendered himself to its desires, allowing himself to return to the realm of the living.

**! ! !**

Noah found himself standing back out in front of the Velvet Room door. He turned around. Sure enough, it was still there. A part of him screamed to go running back in. He could not deny how tempting the thought was. There was so much more he wanted to know from Igor, so much he wanted to ask of his assistant, Faith. Nonetheless, Noah steadied himself and turned away from the allure of the Velvet Room. Igor said that he would be returning. There was no need to go rushing back there. He still had to meet up with his aunt who must have been worried sick of his whereabouts. For all Noah knew, he could have been stuck in there for hours.

A dull vibration hummed in his pocket. He fumbled briefly for his phone and pulled it out, flipping it open to check the caller ID. It was his aunt. No doubt she was fretting over his tardiness.

_Shit! I need to get a move on. _Noah snapped the phone shut and shouldered his bag, starting into a brisk walk towards the waiting area.

**! ! !**

"—oah! Noah, is that you? Noah!"

Noah arrived at the waiting dock. He was out of breath, partly because of his returning urge to go to the bathroom and partly because of his surreal experiences on the airplane and in the Velvet Room. When his aunt spotted him there with his bag over his shoulder and his chest heaving, a smile lit up on her face. Her husband didn't appear to be with her as no one else reacted to his sudden appearance. Noah's eyes wandered to her hands and he noticed a fast food paper bag brimming with hamburgers and French fries. He grinned, resignedly.

"Where have you been? Your flight touched down an hour ago and I couldn't find you in the crowd. I was about to go and complain to the airport security!"

"I just got… held up in the bathroom. It was a long flight." Noah's stomach gurgled in response. His aunt took it the wrong way, her face lighting up again in excitement.

"Oh, you must be hungry! I bought all this food for you because I know the stuff they serve you up there is garbage." She pushed the bag into Noah's arms, his lower lip quivering ever-so slightly. A giant bag full of cold fast food was the last thing on his mind, but he knew it would be rude to turn down her offer.

"Th-thanks auntie," He managed to say, "I really appreciate it." He flashed her a shaky smile, even though his stomach said otherwise. His aunt clapped her hands together in delight and surrounded him in a tight embrace. She smelled lovely, with her light puffs of perfume and flowers. Her long, brown hair was combed to perfection, and though her face was aging and wrinkles were starting to make their home onto the corners of her eyes and her mouth, her light blue eyes still sparkled with youthful radiance.

Aunt Catherine. Noah never got to see relatives very often, his aunt Catherine especially. He had to admit to himself that few of them truly seemed to take interest in his existence, but his aunt Catherine was an exception. Every moment spent with her was a genuine pleasure, and he looked forward to living in Glasswater with her and her recently married husband. When he thought of him, he looked past his aunt, his eyes searching. Catherine noticed and cupped his chin between her hands and smiled.

"Your uncle couldn't make it, but don't you worry about him. He says he's thrilled that you're here and he sends his best regards."

Noah had to take her word for it; after all, he had never met the man. But even so, there was something off about her delivery. His aunt nodded off and turned around.

"Anyway, we should head on over to my apartment. It's getting late and you must be exhausted." His aunt took his hand and led him out the automatic sliding doors. "Come, now, we've got a lot to catch up on!"

_An apartment? _Noah thought, puzzled. He distinctly remembered Catherine owning a small home the last time he had spoken to her over the telephone. That was several years ago, however, and times must have been tough on her. Nonetheless, he allowed his aunt to string him along by hand to her car. It had been a long day and he was ready to get into a comfortable bed and sleep. He could worry about the finer details on the ride home.

**! ! !**

"So do you have a girlfriend yet?"

"What?"

"You heard me." Catherine's tone became provocative, yet playful. Noah turned to look at her and, even in the cover of darkness, he could make out his aunt's teasing smirk. He was convinced all aunts and uncles shared some kind of book where they read all the same lines to their nieces and nephews. She asked him this every time they spoke, whether it was in person or through the telephone.

"No, auntie. I haven't really met anyone my type."

Catherine clicked her tongue and shook her head, a knowing smile dancing on her lips. "I hear the girls at Glasswater are very pretty. Maybe you'll find someone worthy of your lofty standards over there?"

Noah guffawed and gave Catherine a slightly irritated look. How typical of her, always trying to set him up with someone. He appreciated the gesture but he was fine on his own. "Auntie, I doubt I'll find someone I'll like over there in just one measly year."

His aunt just shrugged her shoulders and stuck out her lips. "You never know."

**! ! !**

After a few short hours, they arrived at Catherine's apartment complex. The building was built in a square line, the middle section of the complex reserved as a mini park and playground for the inhabitants. It was dark out, and all of the lights in the heavens were twinkling brightly. Noah stood there for a moment, admiring the night sky and the cool breeze flowing through his hair and his clothes. He shut his eyes and inhaled, deeply, drinking in the atmosphere of the moment.

"What are you standing around for? Come on, get in! It's cold out!"

Noah blinked once, then twice. Then he followed his aunt into the complex. They walked down a dimly lit corridor, his aunt fumbling around in her pockets for her keys. They climbed a set of molding stairs and walked down another hallway until they finally reached his aunt's apartment room, room 204. He heard his aunt curse softly under her breath as she jammed in random keys until she found the right one.

"Here we go. Come in, Noah, don't be shy. My home is your home and all that!" He didn't resist as she ushered him into the apartment room, shutting the door behind them when they were finally inside. She led him past a kitchen where Noah saw a pile of unclean dishes piled up in the sink and leftover food strewn across the countertop. They maneuvered their way past a cluttered living room. The television was buried under glasses and an assortment of random objects, and the couch in front was dusty and dirty. Noah suddenly tripped and when he looked down, he saw an overturned vacuum cleaner, the contents of the bag inside spilling out onto the carpet.

There was something seriously wrong with Catherine's apartment. Noah was speechless as his aunt led him to his room, and he didn't know how to take her attitude as she treated her home as if the mess didn't even exist. This kind of chaos didn't come as a result of haphazard idleness. His aunt was suffering. Noah knew it. He saw it in her eyes earlier at the airport and he saw it now, scattered all over her apartment.

Noah grabbed Catherine's shoulders and whipped her around, turning her to face him. "Catherine, what's going on?" He kept his voice low and silent, not wanting to attract the attention of her husband. "Tell me what's going on here. I want an answer."

She knew very well that Noah only used her first name without her family title when he meant business. Her eyes were wide with fear as he stared at her, his hands clenching her trembling frame tightly. Catherine opened her mouth slightly before she suddenly shook her head and pushed him back, shutting her eyes.

"No… not now." She looked at one of the closed doors and for a moment she looked like she was about to cry. Noah couldn't bear the thought and a snarl appeared on his lips. It was no mystery as to why her apartment was a mess and why she seemed so frightened in his arms. He wanted to burst into the room and beat the man inside to a pulp, but his aunt gently pulled at his arm and she tried to give him her best, reassuring smile. "Come on, Noah, you're tired. You should go to sleep.

Noah glared at the door one last time before he nodded and followed his aunt into his room.

It was dark inside, but when his aunt flicked the light switch, his heart dropped into his chest.

The room, in contrast to the rest of Catherine's apartment, was spotless. The carpet was unblemished and the walls were devoid of any of the odd markings he had seen spread across the rest of the walls. There was a bed in the corner, a window sill perched above the headstand. In the corner adjacent to the one his bed was a wooden desk with a light and some bookends. A mirror closet stood on the wall opposite of the desk, and Noah could see the empty hangars on the clothesline inside. Noah set his bag down and tenderly embraced his aunt, keeping her head close to his heart. He could feel his aunt's sad smile against his chest.

"Thank you, Noah. It's late. Go to bed." She stepped out and softly shut the door. Noah listened to her retreating footsteps, followed by an opening door that closed soon after.

He sat on his bed, wordlessly. Of all the scenarios he expected to come into, this was the last one he saw coming. What happened to his aunt, and what was with the man she had married?

As his head hit the pillow, all of his experiences over the past two days began to blur into a singular mass of compounded stress. Noah didn't know what to think about what he saw. He was confused. His aunt always sounded happy when they spoke. What had happened?

After a few, tired moments, Noah finally fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3, Humble Beginnings

Chapter 3 – Humble Beginnings

Birds sang their morning songs as the sun rose up and over the crest of the horizon. Weak beams of sunlight filtered in through the blinds of Noah's window. His eyes gradually opened, morning crust falling away from the edges of his eyes. Noah reached for his cell phone and flipped it open. It was 7:00 AM. He yawned, tiredly, and stretched his arms, the weary bones in his body popping from the exertion. Students heading towards Glasswater High School on their first day of school chatted eagerly about the upcoming year. Noah could hear them outside his window as he stood up and peeked through the blinds. Noah's room faced the outside perimeter of the building, and he could see students walking in small groups. They looked happy enough, but his aunt's quip about pretty girls in Glasswater was a rumor he had yet to authenticate.

A cold, numbing sensation welled up tight in the center of Noah's chest. He had not forgotten the wasteland he had walked through to get to this room. And how could he have not? Last night's events had soured his mood and he was reluctant to experience it for a second time. More than that, he wasn't sure if he was ready to meet Catherine's husband before his first day at Glasswater High. Thousands of concerns buzzed around in his mind, none of them making his decision to stay indoors or brave the outside any easier. He softly tip-toed to his door and ever-so-slightly nudged it open, leaving a sliver of open space for him to see through.

The hallway was empty and the door his uncle was presumably behind was still shut tight. He looked down the hallway towards the kitchen and the living room. There were no audible noises coming from either and at a glimpse, the apartment seemed completely devoid of life besides him. There was no concrete evidence available to conclusively support any of the dozens of theories running amok in Noah's head and he wasn't about to burst into his uncle's room, fists swinging. The heat of the moment he had felt last night as he held his aunt in his arms had dissipated into a dull whisper. He wasn't so sure now if confronting his uncle about his unsettling relationship with Catherine was the best course of action given the circumstances, and he ultimately decided that he could deal with it when he got back from his first day of school.

Noah quietly shut the door and then went over to his bag. He rummaged through its jumbled contents and withdrew a few of his preferred articles of clothing. Noah tilted his head and wondered, briefly, about what he should wear. After a few minutes of halfhearted consideration, he made a sour face and clapped his hands on his cheeks, deciding it wasn't an issue worth fretting over. He slipped on a pair of grey jeans and a white t-shirt, and then pulled a worn backpack out of his duffel bag. Noah flung it over his shoulders and faced the closet mirror, taking a much needed moment to study his appearance. He hadn't gotten many chances to look at himself over the past few days and he could only imagine what he looked like now.

His brown, wispy hair was ruffled and wild, random bits poking out like thorns every which-way. His gray-blue eyes were tired and sunken and even though he had gotten a good night's rest, there were still dark half-circles sagging beneath his eyelids. On any given normal day, Noah thought he looked pretty good for his age if he bothered to grant any amount of attention to his personal hygiene. This was not one of those days and he cringed as the morning sun illuminated the more unflattering aspects of his weary appearance.

_Guess I won't be making a very good first impression… _Noah thought, slightly dismayed.

He then went to the door of his room, gently pushing it open so that he could squeeze himself through the gap while making as little noise as humanly possible. He quietly stole his way down the hall and through the messy living room. Precision was a must as there were all kinds of objects he had not seen before strewn across the floor. Noah opened the door to the apartment once he reached it, and took a gander at the veritable minefield he had just crossed to get there. The morning sunlight did not do wonders for the appearance of Catherine's home, much like for him. If anything, it only served to magnify the mess. Noah sighed forlornly, stepped outside, and then softly shut the door behind him.

**! ! !**

The fresh, cool, morning air was a welcome sensation as Noah shuffled down the sidewalk behind a group of fellow students he presumed were going to the same place he was. He looked down at the morning dew collecting on the blades of grass poking out of the cracks in the walkway. This was straightforward, and familiar. He wanted to feel better about his present circumstances, but there was too much weighing in on his mind for him to be able to aptly focus on the simple pleasures of a morning stroll. One memory his thoughts tended to drift to often was his surreal trip to the Velvet Room at the airport. No matter how hard he tried to suppress the memory, he kept on remembering the outrageous room and its construction. The faces of Igor and Faith—the two inhabitants he had during his short-lived stay—were not exactly faces he would be forgetting anytime soon. It wasn't like it was easy for him to forget Igor's long, hooked nose or Faith's sleek, silver hair. In addition to all of that, Noah could just barely recall what cards Igor pulled concerning his future.

_Temperance… and… Judgment? I'm pretty sure those were the cards. _

As he dwelled on these matters, he stopped in his tracks and his expression abruptly took a turn for the worse. Why on earth was he taking anything that crazy old man told him seriously? What if that was all some kind of loopy dream? He had never stopped to think that maybe the whole event had been a figment of his admittedly over-productive imagination and the more he considered the possibility, the more concrete the theory seemed.

_What if the Velvet Room was just a reaction to the nightmare I had? Am I capable of coming up with something that over-the-top? Igor and Faith… I've never seen anything like those two. But they can't have been real. That whole room can't have been real. A tube hundreds of miles below the surface of the ocean? Something that crazy could have only been a dream. _

While Noah considered the legitimacy of the Velvet Room and its residents, a girl suddenly came into focus in front of him. He realized with horror that he must have looked like some kind of off-kilter lunatic, standing there and staring into space with his jaw hanging open. He snapped his mouth shut and the girl blinked, taking a tentative step back.

Her black hair was tied into a long, illustrious ponytail that ran all the way down to the back of her knees. She wore an almost comically oversized, gray hooded sweatshirt that fell just short of her kneecaps. She crossed her arms in mild interest as she stared at Noah with intense, olive-green eyes. When she noticed Noah had seen her staring at him, she cocked her head and placed her hands on her hips.

"Is there somethin' wrong?" She asked, her voice laced thick with a rough, regional, eastern accent as well as what he assumed was genuine concern for his well-being.

"Did I look funny to you?" Noah replied, cautiously.

The girl smirked, failing to mask a bewildered smile. "Yeah, you sorta' did. You just stopped walkin' and you stood there lookin' all funny for a few seconds. Looks like you came 'round all right though, so I'm gonna' go ahead and leave you alone." She started walking, and then stopped and turned around. "Hold on, what's your name? I don't think I recognize you, and I'm pretty good with faces."

"Noah Scofield. I'm new here and I'm coming in as a Junior."

The girl paused and thought to herself for a minute, then snapped her fingers and pointed at him directly. "Oh, yeah!" She walked back over to him, a kick in her step and tiny embers blazing in her eyes. "You're that new transfer student we got comin' in from the west coast! People are real curious 'bout you ya' know. They're gonna' ask you a lotta' questions when you get to school. Fair warnin'."

Noah scratched his head, troubled. He honestly didn't know if that prospect excited him or terrified him. An image of himself being swallowed up by a sea of frenzied students blazed in his imagination, but he shrugged it off and smiled.

"I think I can handle them."

She grinned cheerily and looked him up and down, apparently satisfied with his answer. "You sound confident! We'll see if you're up to snuff when class rolls 'round." The girl extended a welcoming hand towards him. "Sorry 'bout not introducin' myself first, I'm Robin. I'm a Junior too, y'know. I'd be lying if I said I hope we don't got some of the same classes together!"

Noah smiled and shook her hand, glad that he had already met someone this forthcoming. "You mind walking with me to school, then, Robin? I'd hate to get lost."

"Sure thing, Noah." She paused and gave their surroundings a once-over. "It looks like my other friend ain't here yet, so I guess you could take his place… just for today, though."

**! ! !**

Noah walked side by side with Robin as they passed a red, flashing stop sign. Things were getting a little awkward as Noah wasn't quite sure about what to bring up. He found this to be pretty routine around people he wasn't comfortable with, especially girls. Noah glanced her up and down and went slightly red. Especially pretty ones. His aunt's words came back to him in a disdainful tone that was completely unfaithful to the way she had actually phrased it. He promised himself before he came here that he would try his damndest to change his habits, but that prospect wasn't looking very healthy. Thankfully for him, Robin made the first move before he could make a fool of himself as they stepped onto the sidewalk.

"So what were you thinkin' so hard about back there?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean… right! I was just thinking about what the school's like. Or, Glasswater in general. Either one of them, really." Noah's words floundered like a helpless, dying fish washed up on the shores of a beach. In practice, lying was harder for him than most. He tried to come up with a reasonable excuse for his irresponsiveness just minutes ago. "I mean, I move around a lot so I'm used to it, but… I don't know."

A small laugh in response to his flustered words passed Robin's lips. "Take it easy, Noah. I'd hate to have ya' pass out on the first day of class." She rubbed the tip of her nose with her index finger and tried to think of a proper answer. "I'm pretty sure you could tell when you got here, but Glasswater ain't exactly like the bigger cities up north. I'd like to think we got some sort of our own kinda' unique culture goin' on over here, but it's really hard to say. I guess by that you could say I'm right, y'know? Since it's really hard to explain and all. I mean, some maps don't even recognize us as a city! Can ya' believe that crap? Anyway, we were founded pretty early, as far back as the colonial times with all 'em old-fashioned soldiers. We've been here since this country's prime so we got a mish-mash of all sorts of folks." Robin stopped walking, took a deep breath, and nodded her head. "As for the school itself? Well… take a look for yourself."

Noah looked past Robin through a chain-link fence in order to get his first good look at Glasswater High School.

The building looked vividly ancient. It was apparent that skilled masons had crafted these buildings with remarkable care, as the years that had passed since the school's conception had only served to improve the school's rustic atmosphere. Many of the school's buildings were built with Indian red bricks carefully and evenly wedged together with paste and cement mortar. The buildings were connected by outdoor hallways held up by similarly constructed pillars that were wrapped in trimmed and tangled green vines. There was a large, imposing tower standing in the center of the school that was evident even from where Noah stood, a large clock face ticking away near the crest of its immense summit. A large, bronze bell hung in an alcove above it, a few lines of indiscernible words scribbled near the edges. Students were walking and talking their way through the school's granite-stone groundwork, their trendy, fashionable clothing a jarring contrast to the school's antique architecture.

He had to hand it to Robin; the school was impressive both in scope and design. By this point he wasn't sure he knew what exactly he was expecting to see but now that he had seen it, he was besieged by astonishment. Robin watched his expression carefully, a perceptive smile tugging at the corners of her lips as the school's distinctive appearance worked its aged magic on Noah's expectations.

"Is this… some kind of private school?" Noah inquired.

"Nah, though I can't blame you for thinkin' that." Robin beamed with pride at the school's clock tower, shading her eyes with a free hand. "Glasswater's board of education directors put good money into maintainin' its school's inherent good looks. Hell, we even got kids from the fringes of the bigger cities up north comin' here by bus just 'cause this place's so damn pretty. That's why there are so many kids here in a town that's real small. I don't think I'd be too far off the mark in calling this school the pride and joy of Glasswater. There really ain't much out there like this."

Noah found himself in agreement as he and Robin took their first steps towards the school's polished, arched black gate. He glanced up at the domed headboard that read, '_Only the exceptional enter; only the best leave'_. In other schools, these words might have faded over time or they may have fallen victim to graffiti and natural causes. These words were bold and black. It was obvious that someone had recently repainted it.

"Yeah, that's this school's lame-ass motto," Robin sighed, gloomily, "You thought all these pretty buildings came for free? Nah… there's always a catch."

GlasswaterHigh School's clock tower struck 8:00 AM as Noah laughed heartedly at Robin's quip. The morning bell chimed while Robin frowned and turned around, looking past the entrance gate. The peal of the bell slowly faded with the magic of the moment as Noah followed her eyes, but whatever she was looking for didn't appear to be in plain sight. A group of chatty students approached the gate. Some stragglers were spread out among the sidewalk. Robin craned her neck, trying to look for something past the small crowd. Some of the students passed them, but whoever Robin was looking for was not amongst the few students left. Noah placed his hand on her shoulder, but this seemingly docile gesture of friendship took her by surprise. Her expression softened, but she still shrugged him off.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it. There's just this guy who I was hopin' would show up. And I thought I finally broke through to him…" Noah looked at Robin quizzically as she mused to herself quietly. "Dude is seriously hurtin' for some pals but he doesn't make it easy. He said he'd meet up with me close to where I met you, but he wasn't there…" Something clicked in her mental faculties and she swore, venomously. "Shit! I should have waited for him! The hell was I thinkin', runnin' off with some new kid? I promised him that I…" The words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could process them. When she realized what she had said, she grimaced and clamped shut. She remained like this for several painfully awkward seconds before Noah broke the silence.

"Have you tried contacting him?"

Robin's eyes lit up as she smacked herself on the forehead and muttered, "Ugh, I'm an idiot! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She dove into her pockets and pulled out her cell phone, her fingers dancing on the numerical keypad. Robin hit the call button and pressed the receiver close to her mouth. "Come on, come on, come on…"

Several minutes of this passed and when the first call failed, she redialed. She redialed and redialed and redialed and redialed but the person she was trying so desperately to get a hold of still did not answer. Her desperation began to worry Noah as her demeanor gradually worsened, her remarks to herself growing more and more malicious as each call failed. Finally, after what seemed to be the hundredth call, she slammed her phone shut and tore her face away from the entrance. Robin stood there with her eyes downcast and the phone wrapped up in her trembling fist. Noah cautiously drew closer, but Robin turned and started to walk away towards one of the buildings.

"Hey, wait! Hold on! Robin, listen to me! Robin!" Noah stopped walking and snarled. "_Robin!_"

The green-eyed girl stopped and panted, her chest heaving in anger. She did not turn to face him as she darkly muttered, "We're gonna' be late, Noah. You don't even know what your first class is, right? Come on." She started to head towards one of the buildings again, but Noah was having none of it.

"What the hell was that, Robin? Who were you trying to get a hold of? I'm not going anywhere until you answer me!" Inevitably, Noah's thoughts drifted to Catherine. He remembered in vivid detail the way she had trembled, the way she had looked as he tried without success to comfort her. He didn't know why he cared so much about this kind of stuff now. Before, when he lived with his mother, he would have just let other people's problems fly right over his head. Now, he found himself obligated to care. Did something in the dream he experienced change his philosophies? Or was it his trip to the Velvet Room? Whatever the case, this newfound attitude of his was immaturely developed and uncharacteristic of his prior beliefs. This was strange, and unnatural, but Noah was tired of seeing people in pain. He resolved in that moment that, as long as there was something he could do to help people in need, he would do everything within his power to allay them of their grief. He didn't want to feel like he did when he gave up so easily on his aunt. And he knew that he would regret it immensely if he gave up on Robin here and now.

Robin returned his glare and strutted forward. When she reached him, she looked up at him and tried to compensate for the admittedly minor difference in height with brimming antagonism. "The hell do you care so much for?" Her green eyes narrowed as she squinted at him. "I ain't even known you for two hours and you think you can just get up in my grill like we're best buds? You got another thing comin', pal. I ain't no gal you can just charm the pants off of. I ain't like your jelly-legged girls back wherever the hell you're from, and I ain't got no time for your half-baked theologies. You had better get that through your head now rather than later."

Sympathy gave way to frustration as Noah exasperatedly ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He was at a loss as to how to handle the situation from here. Once again, his confidence was rattled. Confrontational situations did not come naturally to him, and he knew Robin could sense this harsh truth. For whatever reason, he thought of Faith in that moment and he recalled the single word she had said to him in the Velvet Room after Igor had asked her to size him up.

_Disappointing._

Noah breathed deeply and his sense of focus stabilized. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I don't know who or what you're talking about and I haven't known you long enough to be able to tell you with one-hundred percent sincerity that I want to help you. This is a trust thing, Robin." To Noah, Robin was a girl filled with too much pride and not enough humility. Telling her that straight away probably would have broken off what little of their friendship had already budded, so he needed to relay this to her without aggravating her bubbling temper. "I can tell by listening to you that you don't get this often, but I need you to be able to open up to me without worrying that I'll stab you in the back later. I know that's hard since we just met, but maybe you can grow to trust me. But I can't do that if you don't give me a chance now."

Robin's short, quick breaths gradually died down. Her fiery eyes cooled and the bewilderment evident by her expression was almost palatable. Noah was new to this, and he was surprised that he had managed to get through to her, but he kept quiet, waiting for an answer. Finally, Robin spoke up, her voice unexpectedly timid and restrained.

"Look, I'm… I'm sorry, alright?" Robin looked down and her arms fell limply at her sides. Her rage slowly began to subside. "That was selfish of me. You're just—you're real nice 'n all and I know you were just tryin' to help me out but this is real frustratin' to deal with and I kinda' want to keep it under wraps. I mean, it ain't like I don't trust you or nothin', I just…" Small tears began to form at the cusp of her eyes. She quickly neutralized them, vigorously dabbing them away with the folds of her oversized sweatshirt. Noah smiled, gently. Robin bristled in embarrassment. "Look, just forget about it, okay? Maybe I'll tell you about it later, I dunno'. But we should really head to class. We're in a whole world of trouble now that we're this late." Noah figured it was wise not to press the matter any further as Robin quickly turned and walked away again in the same direction. He looked up at the still clock tower and at the sun slowly rising to a zenith behind its dominion.

What on earth was he getting himself into? Was what he doing really worth all of the trouble that was surely to follow in the footsteps of the lifestyle he was choosing to live? Noah was unsure if he was capable of playing the role of mock-therapist to a host of people. Suddenly, a thought came to him.

_Is this was Igor was talking about? _He looked at Robin who had reached the door to a building and was calling him on over. He was very aware of the fact that he knew little of Robin's true personality or her past, but he could not deny that he already thought of her as a good friend. _Cherished loved ones… could Robin be one of those? Was the Velvet Room really not a dream at all? _A cold chill ran down the length of his spine as another, more sinister thought occurred to him. _Could the nightmare on the plane not have been a dream either? _

"Noah!" Robin's sharp voice cut through the air like butter, prying him away from his meditations. "Hurry the hell up! I'm not waitin' for you forever!" Noah looked back at the gate, hoping that whoever Robin was looking for was walking through them. Upon seeing no one, he turned and followed in Robin's footsteps.

**! ! !**

The entire classroom froze the moment Robin opened the door. A pin dropping would have sounded like a gunshot in the silence that followed as Robin ushered Noah in after her. Noah wasn't even sure if this was the right classroom, and chances were swell that it wasn't. In the chaos surrounding his trip to Glasswater, he had forgotten to go online and print out his schedule on the school website. Now that he was here—virtually naked before the curious eyes of everyone in the class and the professor—he deeply regretted his erroneous decision. Robin casually sauntered over to the teacher who stood in front of a polished, wooden podium. Going by the paper on top, he appeared to have been in the middle of roll call. She stood up on tip-toes and smiled once she was close.

"Yo, Mr. Schrodinger! Lucky you! Look who's here!"

The aging professor groaned and buried his face in his palms. "Lord, have mercy."

Robin looked over her shoulder and beckoned Noah to come over. He hesitated, but decided that this was better than wandering the halls of the school and popping into every classroom and asking if he belonged there. The professor peered at Noah through the slits between his fingers as he approached. Noah looked at the business suit the old man wore and he remembered, suddenly, where he had seen him before. He was the one who had slept next to him on the airplane.

"Er, I'm Noah Scofield, sir," Noah said, bowing slightly, "Am I in your class?"

Evidently, Mr. Schrodinger did not recognize him as he pulled the roster of students closer to his face, his beady black eyes scanning the names one by one. The professor turned to the next page and followed with his finger until he reached a name and nodded.

"You're a very lucky man, Mr. Scofield." Mr. Schrodinger sighed, his eyes darting from the paper to Noah. "It looks like I am, indeed, your homeroom teacher. Were you not aware of this information before coming to this class?"

Noah shook his head. "No, sir. I just moved here yesterday. It's been a rough last few days."

The old man waved his hand and nodded sympathetically. "I understand, Mr. Scofield. You ought to take a seat wherever one remains. You're late, but this is your first day here so I will excuse you." The professor neatly folded his hands and his tone hardened, considerably. "Do not expect me, however, to be so lenient tomorrow, or the day after, or the days after that. Once is more than enough for you to adequately learn your lesson. I fully expect you—" His eyes turned to Robin, "—and Ms. Tesla to be on time and in your seats by the ring of the bell each and every day at 8:00 AM from here on forth. Have I made myself abundantly clear?"

Noah straightened up and nodded. "Yes, Mr. Schrodinger. Won't happen again."

"Whatever you say, teach." Robin shrugged. She turned around, looking for an empty seat in the classroom. Noah caught the glitter in her eyes once she spotted someone near the back. Robin immediately headed towards an empty seat against the back wall, next to a ghostly looking dark-haired adolescent who looked to be hiding his face in his arms. The rest of the students watched Noah curiously. Noah returned their stares awkwardly and shifted from one foot to the other. Robin, contentedly settled into her seat next to the boy and gave him a thumbs up from the back of the room, her bright eyes encouraging him to go ahead and sit down. Mr. Schrodinger watched him expectantly, as did the rest of the class. Noah desperately tried to ignore the fact that there was one empty chairs smack-dab in the middle of the classroom.

_That's the complete opposite of where I want to be. _Noah groaned inwardly, trying to hide his displeasure at this unpleasant turn of events. He made his way past the students and their backpacks littering the aisles, inching closer to his chair. The moment he seated himself, however, the tension that seemed to choke the room dissipated in one fell swoop. All of the students began to animatedly chatter among themselves, the homeroom teacher Mr. Schrodinger trying to gain a foothold against the tide of voices flooding the room. His patience quickly snapped and he slammed his hand down on the podium.

"That's _enough_!" The class immediately hushed up. "Now I'm sure you're all just _dying _to know about Mr. Scofield, but I assure you there will be plenty of time for that _after _the first session has finished and your break has started." Mr. Schrodinger tapped the wooden podium in front of him and put on a pair of thick, golden glasses. "Now then, concerning the structure of your courses…"


	4. Chapter 4, Of Mice and Men

Chapter 4 – Of Mice and Men

Several long, draining hours passed before Mr. Schrodinger's abysmally dull introductory lecture finally ended. If that wasn't painful enough on its own, he promptly followed it up with an opening speech concerning the code of ethics at Glasswater High School and the standards that had been practiced there since the dawn of the United State's history. Noah got the idea that Mr. Schrodinger cared more about the school's reputation than he did for its students. He knew that could have been a wrong assumption, but the teacher wasn't making a very good case in favor of the opposite argument. Mr. Schrodinger's speech was not aided by his dull, monotonous, one-note tone of voice, and his lifeless rhetoric dragged on and on and on until Noah figured he was about ready to drill holes into his ears with a screwdriver. It felt like a lifetime had passed Noah by the time Mr. Schrodinger finally reached the conclusion to his grating lecture, and by that point Noah's brain was a scrambled mess. The bell sounded off in the courtyard as Noah glanced up above the podium at the clock at the apex of the classroom. It read 10:00 AM. Noah groaned and buried his face in his arms as Mr. Schrodinger gathered his papers into a thin, leather-bound briefcase and nodded curtly.

"This will conclude today's preliminary lecture concerning the history of our school. You all know by now what we expect of you here at Glasswater High School. Nothing short of your best will satisfy my standards, much less the standards of the other professors here at this institution." Mr. Schrodinger checked his watch and raised his hand. "You are all excused for a thirty-minute break period. I expect all of you to be in your seats by the time those thirty minutes are up. Dismissed."

The students in the classroom breathed a collective sigh of relief as many of them got to their feet and hurriedly gathered their things. Noah remained motionless in his seat, mulling over whether drowning himself in the bathroom stall would be less painful than flinging himself off of the top of the clock tower. He felt a hand descend onto his shoulder.

Noah looked up to see a small crowd of students gathered around his seat, their faces glowing with anticipation and suppressed excitement. He looked past the students and saw Robin chuckling to herself at the back of the classroom. The boy seated next to her appeared barren, his face completely devoid of any trace of emotion. Noah silently mouthed 'help me' as the students descended upon him like a rabid pack of wolves, pushing and pulling with a veritable litany of inquiries. Reluctantly, Noah surrendered himself to their demands before Robin cut her way through the swath of students and grabbed Noah, pulling him out of the throng. A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead as Robin placed him behind her, her arms extended.

"Sorry, kids! I'm afraid Noah's off-limits for the time being. Do you disagree?" Robin glanced at him and he quickly nodded in agreement. "From the horse's own mouth, folks!"

"He didn't even say anything!" Someone complained.

"Let him speak for himself!" Another piped up.

Robin shook her head and crossed her arms defiantly, trying to appear as menacing and as unflinching as was physically possible. "Try again some other time, guys. Shop's closed!"

The crowd of students hesitantly stood their ground but eventually, they gloomily dispersed, several of them shooting Robin sour looks. Robin simply stuck out her tongue and turned around, pointing back at them over her shoulder with her thumb. "You gotta' learn to say no to these people, Noah, else they ain't ever gonna' stop." She adjusted her sweatshirt and pointed past him at the gloomy looking boy. "Anyway, you gotta' meet my friend over there! He might not look like it but he's actually real excited to meet ya'! He's the guy I was talkin' about earlier when I—" Robin's voice briefly lost its natural confidence and her burst excitement ended in a lifeless sputter. "When I lost it."

Noah sighed and gently knocked her chin up with his finger. "Don't worry about it. Come on, what's your friend's name?"

"…His name's Matthew." Robin answered, grateful that Noah didn't chastise her for losing her spirit. She started walking towards her friend and Noah followed in her footsteps. As they approached, the boy looked straight at Noah, his eyes almost glaring into his. Matthew didn't give Noah ample reason to believe that he hated him, but there was something off in his expression that gave Noah the slight impression that he wasn't welcome. Nevertheless, he knew he wasn't one to judge and he figured he ought to put his best foot forward. When Noah got within hand-shaking range, Matthew averted his gaze and instead, chose to focus his attention on a dark spot ingrained into the wood of his desk. Robin placed a hand on her hip and rapped the table with her knuckles, startling Matthew out of his inattention. "Yo, Matthew! This is Noah. Met this dude on the way to school. He seemed like a pretty decent guy, so I figured I'd introduce him to ya'."

Noah extended his hand towards Matthew and offered a smile. Matthew glanced at Noah's hand and for a moment it looked as if he would actually take it but he withdrew into himself and turned away, looking outside the window into the courtyard. Robin sighed and roughly clapped Matthew on the back, eliciting a surprised cough. The dark-haired adolescent shot her a look and finally gave Noah the benefit of his full, undivided attention.

"Hey." Matthew mumbled, his voice lighter in tenor than Noah was expecting. "I'm Matthew."

Matthew still didn't seem to think Noah's hand was worth shaking, so Noah let it fall limply beside his waist. "I'm Noah Scofield." There was an awkward pause as Matthew stared at him, listlessly. "Um… it's nice to meet you Matthew. Robin hasn't told me much about you but I hope we can become good friends."

"Likewise." Matthew replied, although Noah wasn't sure how much Matthew meant those words as he said them. "Here's to a long, fruitful friendship." Matthew rolled his eyes as his sour tone of voice betrayed his true sentiment.

It was clear that Matthew had no intention of pursuing any kind of relationship with Noah, and Noah knew he couldn't take that kind of rejection lying down. He didn't know what Matthew's problem was with him and he was hard-pressed to come up with any feasible reason as to why, but he felt like if he tried to get to know Matthew better—probably at his own expense—he could salvage some kind of familiarity with him. As it stood, they would probably be relegated to an awkward acquaintanceship if things continued to go the way they were headed. In his heart, Noah knew that this was a turning point in his future with Matthew. Robin grunted in frustration at Matthew's reluctance to cooperate and made a move to interject, but Noah held out his hand.

"What do you like to do in your spare time, Matthew?" Noah ventured, hoping Matthew would take the bait. Robin gave him a quizzical look, but stayed silent.

The unenthusiastic teen appeared taken aback for a second, but he shrugged and placed his chin in his palm, maintaining his indifference. Noah figured Matthew was surprised that he didn't just walk away or return his slight, but it wasn't enough to convince him that he genuinely cared. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because Robin's your friend, and I like Robin, and I think I'd like you too if you let me." Noah replied. He glanced at Robin for some encouragement, but she was squinting at him guardedly. Matthew leaned back a bit and he made a worried face. Noah went slightly red and threw his hands up, vigorously shaking his head back and forth as the dual nature of what he had just said dawned on him. "Oh, shit, not like that! That isn't what I meant!"

_Shit! _Noah cursed. _I need to choose my words more carefully! _

"I'm sorry." Noah apologized. "It's difficult to find the right words."

Robin laughed and placed her chin in her palms, studying Noah intently. "You ain't so hot with your words, are ya' Noah?"

Inside, Noah fumed. _What the hell do you mean? At least I'm trying to be friendly! _He wanted to retort, but something told him Matthew wouldn't approve of something like that. "No, I guess not. But Matthew still hasn't answered my question."

"What I like to do, you mean?" Matthew asked, lazily. He looked up at the ceiling and folded his arms. "Nothing interesting. I play video games sometimes and I do a lot of stuff on the computer." He thought a little bit more and shut his eyes. "That's about it."

"What?" Robin snapped, slapping a palm on her desk indignantly. "There's more to it than that! Tell him about your—"

"Robin." Matthew warned, coldly.

Robin held her hands up and backed off. "Sorry, my bad. I shoulda' known about how you felt about that stuff. But Noah's alright, really! You have my word that you can trust him. He ain't gonna' call you names like the others. I'd be willing to bet good money he'd be cool with it!"

"_Robin._" Matthew repeated through gritted teeth, his patience wearing dangerously thin.

You could have cut the rising tension between them with a butter knife. Noah realized how unhealthy their discussion was becoming, and he decided to intervene before things became irreparable. "You don't have to tell me anything." He cut in, not wanting to be the cause of a fractured friendship. "You don't owe me anything, Matthew. Robin, it's alright. It can wait, if he ever decides to tell me. I don't have to know right now." Noah looked straight into Matthew's eyes, making it abundantly clear how serious he was in that moment. "I don't have to know, ever, if that's the way you'd like to keep it."

Visibly, Matthew seemed to be impressed. Noah figured that there were others Robin had tried to introduce to Matthew and that those meetings probably hadn't gone the way she had intended. The more people tried to push things the more Matthew was disinclined to disclose the more intimate details of his life. Instinctively, Noah knew that secrets like that were trophies he had to earn, not force out into the limelight like a nervous performer with a crippling case of stage fright. There was a methodology to people like Matthew, a methodology Noah was beginning to get the hang of.

"Hey, just tryin' to get you two to communicate. You ain't makin' it very easy." Robin yawned, rubbing her eyes. "I mean, I figure you'd be pretty impressed, Noah. Matthew might not look like it, but he's actually—"

"_Robin_!" Noah and Matthew yelled in unison. Shocked, they traded bewildered stares as Robin jumped and shrank meekly into her chair. After a time, the two teenagers snickered before, finally, genuine laughter escaped their throats. Matthew, in particular, was in hysterics. There were few people who were willing to stand up to Robin when she started going off on a tangent, and he was in awe at the fact that Noah had had the same idea. Robin's eyes went from one to the other and once she understood what was happening, she beamed and joined with them.

Before Noah could properly get in a word edgeways, Mr. Schrodinger strutted into the room. There were a couple of minutes left before the permitted thirty minutes were up. Nevertheless, Noah was not worried. He had managed to get Matthew to warm up to him in the allotted time and he was happy, knowing that things might go smoothly between them after all. There was a tough, long road ahead of him when it came to interacting with strangers. This was just the tip of the iceberg. There was no telling what others he would come to meet in the coming year at Glasswater and there was no telling what they would be like. If Matthew and Robin were any indication of what was to come, however, he could tell he was in for one hell of an adventure.

**! ! !**

Noah and the others had to split up once the break ended since their schedules past Mr. Schrodinger's initial class were wildly different. Many of their classes were spread throughout the campus grounds and aside from Mr. Schrodinger, they didn't seem to have any of the same classes. Noah had to admit he was a little disappointed that he couldn't get to talk to Robin and Matthew more, but he decided it could wait. They agreed that once lunchtime hit, they would all meet up in front of Mr. Schrodinger's classroom and go to the cafeteria together. Noah had other things on his mind when he drew nearer to Matthew and Robin, however, most prominently his growing urge to urinate. Noah wondered why his bladder acted up at such inconvenient times as Matthew looked at him, oddly.

"…What's up with you? You look like you're about to pass out."

"Where are your bathrooms?" Noah asked, his eyes clenched. "I'll meet up with you guys once I've done my business."

"I can show you if you want. It's just down the hall and around the corner." Matthew said.

There was little rational reason to support Noah turning down Matthew's offer, but he didn't want to be a burden when they were just starting to get along so well. In retrospect, it didn't make a whole lot of sense, but Noah rationalized independency was a personal trait he needed to develop before he was ready to adequately depend on others. "No, it's fine. I can make it. I'll see you two at the cafeteria, alright? Save me a seat!" Noah turned around and started jogging down the hallway past a series of lockers and classroom doors. Once he reached the split at the end of the hallway, he looked right and left and spotted the restrooms at the end of the path to his right. Relieved, he started to make his way over when out of the shadows a thick, muscled pair of arms entwined around his waist and heaved him up, crushing the air out of his lungs. Noah's vision spun as he was lifted effortlessly into the air, the face of his assailant just out of sight.

Noah was incapable of crying out for help as he kicked his legs out, trying to find a purchase for his feet. Getting jumped at school was something he had given some serious thought to, but he never expected it to happen while he was actually _at _school. Maybe when he was walking home, maybe when he was at his most vulnerable at a urinal, but never at school in the hallways! He had gone through the motions when he was in the airplane's restroom, coming up with a slew of cool one-liners and figuring out where he thought the chokepoints on his assailants would be located. But now that he was trapped in the arms of a complete stranger, he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

As quickly as it had begun, the 'attack' ended and the large assailant gently set Noah down on his feet. Noah collapsed, struggling to catch his breath, his chest heaving. He turned his head and looked up and behind him at a grinning, muscled, bear of a man with a wide jaw and short, dirty blonde hair that was gelled up at the tips.

At a loss for words, Noah simply stared at the young man. It was hard to find the right words when he had brushed that closely with death. Thankfully—or not—the young man broke the silence, his voice a deep and imposing bellow. "You're the new kid, right? The one from the west coast?" He stuck out his tree trunk of an arm, the hand at the end of it more like a giant slab of ham instead of a human appendage. "I'm Seth. I'm a senior here."

_Is this guy for real? _Noah wondered, incredulously. "Er… yeah, that's right. I'm Noah Scofield."

"Glad to hear I bear-hugged the right one then!" Seth laughed. "Would have been awkward if I nabbed some other new student!"

"How did you know who to grab?" Noah asked, horrified.

The looming colossus of a student leaned in and suddenly looked deathly serious. "And why do you think I'd let you in on a secret like that?" He maintained this intimidating look for several painfully frightening seconds before he roared with laughter and drew himself back into his full height, his voice echoing down the hallway. Noah could barely contain his terror as Seth laughed and laughed, apparently ignorant of the effect he was having on him.

After his laughter had subsided, Seth wiped his mouth and regarded Noah with warm, friendly eyes. "Actually, it was your friend Robin. She's in one of my classes. How did she put it?" Seth rubbed his temples and slapped his hands to the sides of his face, mimicking her long, dark bangs. "Look for a kid who looks like he hasn't slept for days. Poor guy's got bags under his eyes the size of asteroid craters." Seth looked satisfied with himself and laughed. "That about right?"

Noah had to hand it to the guy, he did a pretty accurate impression of her. Seth couldn't have been all that bad if he was already on good terms with Robin, and if that was the case he decided it couldn't hurt to give the senior a chance—even if his bear hug had almost killed him.

_Maybe that was some kind of weird initiation ceremony for new students at Glasswater High School. _Noah laughed warily and nodded. "Yeah, that's pretty good, actually. You know Robin?"

"Of course!" Seth nodded. "I'm not kidding around when I tell you what I'm about to tell you. I know most of the kids here and I don't have a bone to pick with any one of them. Honesty is always the best policy and I try to be friends with everybody. You're no exception, Noah Scofield." Another warm, inviting smile. "Welcome to Glasswater High School, Noah. You're going to have a great time here with friends like Robin and Matthew."

"You know Matthew too?" Noah said, surprised.

"Yeah." Seth admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "Guy isn't easy to talk to, though. It's like talking to a brick wall sometimes." Seth regarded Noah thoughtfully for a moment, and then continued. "Robin said you actually managed to make him smile. That isn't an easy feat, Noah. Color me impressed."

To Noah, Seth seemed like an upstanding fellow, and he was genuinely surprised that Seth hadn't been able to get through to Matthew. How had he been able to and not Seth? Seth gave off the impression of someone who was a natural at social interaction. He seemed like a genuine people-person; someone who could make a living off of just talking and getting to know others. Noah wished it could come that easy to him, but it was hard and demanding. Noah shook his head and tried to deter Seth's compliment. "No, I must have gotten lucky. I still have a long way to go."

"Bah! Nonsense!" Seth chastised, suddenly looking very cross. "I like you, Noah, and that's what counts. You're alright in my books. If anyone tells you otherwise, come to me and I'll give them a piece of my mind." Noah gave him a look, but Seth just brushed it off. "Not like that. Come on, Noah, do you think I'd really go and do something like that? Just go and clock people in the face for having an opinion different from my own?"

A set of footsteps sounded down the hallway as Noah readied himself to ask if Seth was serious. The friendly giant looked past him and beamed, waving at some people who were walking past them. Noah turned around and spotted a pair of students that were slowly approaching. One of them—a lean, well-built athlete with chestnut brown hair and piercing, turquoise eyes—smiled and held his hand up. The other—an elegantly dressed blonde with blue eyes and sharp features—cocked her head when she saw Noah.

"Who's the kid, Seth?" She asked, curiously.

Noah felt Seth's meaty hand clap him on the shoulder. "This here's Noah Scofield. He's a Junior who moved in here from the west coast. Say hi, Noah!"

Noah reddened, feeling like a child under Seth's looming presence. _What is this, preschool? _Noah thought, slightly annoyed. Nonetheless, he smiled and waved his hand. "Hey, how's it going?"

The athlete returned Noah's smile. "Name's Griffith. Maybe I'll see you after school."

His blonde companion nodded. "I'm Lucia. Nice to meet you, Noah."

Seth suddenly stepped around Noah and tousled Griffith's and Lucia's hair with his hands, chuckling to himself softly. "Where are you two headed?"

"Seth, come on! We're all adults here!" Griffith protested. Lucia looked just as agitated, although neither of them made any attempt to stop Seth from smothering them with affection. Noah guessed that Seth was just naturally touchy-feely, and everyone else that he was familiar with had just learned to deal with it. If Noah thought about it, he couldn't say that he minded. Seth seemed like someone he could enjoy spending his time with, and the same could be said for Lucia and Griffith. The upperclassmen trio exchanged a few more words before Griffith and Lucia said their goodbyes and departed. Seth's attention returned to Noah, his expression still obstinately optimistic.

"So where were you headed, Noah?" Seth asked.

Like at the airport, Noah's desire to urinate had completely gone from him. It was no Velvet Room, but meeting Seth and the other two had taken away the need, and now all he wanted to do was go to the cafeteria and meet up with Robin and Matthew. "I was going to the cafeteria. Robin and Matthew are waiting for me over there."

Seth chuckled and turned Noah in the opposite direction. "The lunchroom's that way, Noah. For future reference, this hallway leads to the bathroom." He patted him on the head, like he did with Griffith and Lucia. "Don't hesitate to call on me if you ever need any help. I look out for all the students here. If anyone gives you trouble, let me know."

Charmed, Noah grinned. "Thanks, Seth. I'll keep that in mind."

**! ! !**

"Yo, Noah! We're over here!"

Noah's eyes ran the length of the cafeteria hall as he entered, searching for the source of Robin's voice. The room was long and large, the ceiling meeting at a single point, like a triangle. Intricate, colorful glass panes were set high above on the wall at the end, sunlight filtering through the glass and casting a beautiful array of colors onto the tables and floor of the cafeteria. As Noah studied the arrangement and finer details of the room, he noticed that if he had replaced the long rows of tables and chairs with pews and left an empty column in the middle, it would have looked much like a church would. Did this room serve a different purpose in earlier times? It was hard to say among the throng of students eating and chatting, but he wouldn't have been surprised if it did. In the crowd, Noah identifies Robin near one of the corners on the opposite side of the cafeteria, occupying one of the tables with Matthew who was seated across from her. He nodded, indicating that he had spotted them, and began to make his way over. As Noah drew closer to them, Robin beamed and patted one of the seats next to her.

"Make yourself comfortable!" She said, pushing a tray full of food over to Noah. "I figured you wouldn't have brought a lunch on the first day, so it's on the house! Courtesy of myself and Matthew!"

Noah looked at her, and then at Matthew, who failed to mask his embarrassment. Regardless of whatever he felt, he didn't deny that he had chipped in to help pay for Noah's food. Noah smiled at them, warmly, taken aback that they were showing him so much hospitality. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Don't touch the greens, though." Robin warned, wrinkling her nose at a curious lump of green sludge sitting promiscuously in one section of his tray. "Lots of the stuff on that tray ain't exactly healthy for you, but that thing especially will hurt you somethin' awful. I swear, that thing's in violation of regional health code regulations."

Matthew scoffed and spooned a lump of macaroni and cheese into his mouth. He opened his mouth and spoke through a smattering of yellow mush. "At least it's edible. I couldn't say the same for the stuff you cook."

"Shove it, Matthew! At least I got manners." Robin shot back hotly, crossing her arms. "And shut your trap when you eat! That's gross! There's mac' and cheese flyin' all over the place!" She shook her head in disgust and then turned to face Noah. "Anyway, where were ya'? You're a little late. We were startin' to get worried."

Noah looked over at the entrance to the cafeteria, wondering if his upperclassman assailant would suddenly show up. Not surprisingly, he didn't. Noah sighed and said, "I met someone named Seth, and a couple others. He seemed to know you."

"Oh, Seth!" Robin exclaimed, reaffirming what he had hinted at. "Yeah, 'course I know him. Even Matthew knows him, ain't that right?" Matthew nodded and chewed with his mouth open. Robin gave him another sour look, but she continued. "Dude's a real class act. Ain't no one else on campus that's as friendly as that guy. What'd he say to you?"

"He did a frighteningly accurate impression of you, actually." Noah said. That was the first thing that came to his mind, honestly. It was difficult to forget since it was so spot-on. Robin looked confused for a moment, and then went red with agitation.

"What!? That old shtick again? Why won't he stop doing that!?" Robin yelled, flustered. "It stopped being funny after freshman year! I'm not that loud!"

_Yes, you are. _Noah thought to himself, silently.

"Yes, you are." Matthew chimed in, taking a swig of water. Noah winced as Robin leaned over the table and punched Matthew square in the jaw, causing him to cough up his food.

While Matthew recovered from Robin's sudden ambush, Noah studied him interestedly. In many ways, Matthew reminded him of himself. Around strangers, he was timid and shy, and prone to verbal mistakes. Matthew might have been a little thornier when it came to that, but in the end the verdict was the same. Around friends, he acted more like himself and it definitely showed. Noah recalled, earlier, what Robin had said while trying to get in touch with Matthew.

"_It's nothing, don't worry about it. There's just this guy who I was hopin' would show up. And I thought I finally broke through to him…" _

She had said other things, but Noah identified those words as the most important. What did she mean when she said she had finally broken through to him? He didn't want to bring up the matter now—he could only imagine how awkward that would have made things between the three of them—but he could not deny how much the thought nagged at him. There was still much more he had to learn about Robin as a person, and to an even greater extent, Matthew.

"Anyway, forget about that!" Robin chirped. "Noah, you payin' attention? Matthew said he's got an offer for you, if you're willin' to listen!"

Noah looked at Matthew with raised eyebrows. Matthew cleared his throat, clapped his hands, and set them down on the table. "You said earlier you wanted to get to know me, right? Or at the very least, you alluded to it." Noah hesitated, but nodded cautiously. "Well if you were serious about that, then I was wondering—" He paused, uncertain of how to proceed, and looked at Robin. She gestured with her nose, encouragingly. "—If you wanted to come over to my house for the night? A sleep-over, I guess? Well, no, God that sounds stupid. But, you know…"Matthew scratched his hair vigorously and shook his head. "Forget it, never mind!"

There was no easy way for Matthew to have done what he just did, Noah realized. With that in mind, Noah quickly nodded and tried to reassure him that he had nothing to be embarrassed out. On the contrary, he was glad that Matthew was beginning to put some faith into him, even if spending the night was probably too big a jump for people who had just become friends. Still, Noah was aware of the fact that Matthew was about as socially competent as a rock at a swinger's party—much like himself. He would take any chance he could get, because they would almost certainly be few and far between. "I'll take you up on that, Matthew. Do you live close to the school?"

Matthew stopped fretting. "Um, yeah… do you actually want to come?"

"Certainly," Noah said. "But I didn't bring a change of clothes."

"Oh. That's fine. I have some spares that should fit you." Matthew replied.

"Great!" Noah smiled. "Then I guess I'll meet you by the front once school is over?"

"I, uh… I guess so." Matthew stammered. Noah wagered that he probably didn't expect him to be so welcoming to the idea. In fact, there was probably a good chance that Matthew thought that Noah would have turned him down. Noah knew that that would have put a strain on their budding friendship, and he had to nurture these early growing pains as best as he could.

Robin was about to give her thoughts on the matter before the bell rang and lunch ended. She glared at the intercom near the entrance to the cafeteria and looked back at the two of them with a smile on her lips. "Looks like you two got things covered. I don't think I'll be able to go, but I'll see you guys off once school's over. Sound good?"

Noah and Matthew agreed, and the trio of students headed towards the exit.


	5. Chapter 5, Stepping Stones

Chapter 5 – Stepping Stones

The bell tower in the courtyard of Glasswater High chimed noisily at 3:00 PM, signaling the end of the first day of school. Noah looked forward to what the rest of the day had to offer, as he had made plans with a new friend to stay over for the night. As the effervescent teen shouldered his bag and walked out the door of his final class, a thought suddenly occurred to him. What was he to tell his Aunt Catherine about all of this? At the time, he could only think of hastily accepting Matthew's offer, and he had not given much thought to any other concerns that he might have pushed to the back of his mind. Noah slowly pulled his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open, scrolling down his admittedly short list of contacts until he reached the number of his aunt. He stared at the number for a good, long while, wondering how he should confront her about the issue. Noah was dead set on going to Matthew's; that much was certain. He didn't know what unseen force was propelling him to do so as he had no obligation to get to know the haughty youth any more than he had already. He just knew that this was something he had to do, as stupid and as unjustified as that may have sounded. Finally, he went through his phone's various menus until he arrived at the texting screen.

_Aunt Catherine, _Noah began. _I'm going to stay at a friend's house for the night, so if you start worrying about where I am, stop, because I'm fine. Just wanted to let you know that. I should be back after school tomorrow. Sorry if this is on such short notice! _Noah's thumb was mere inches away from pressing the send button before he stopped. His fingers drummed on the numerical keypad for a few more words. _I love you. _He reread his message, nodded, and then hit send.

**! ! !**

Matthew and Robin leaned on the entrance gate's iron bars, mincing words as they waited for Noah. Students eager to create as much distance as possible between them and the school walked down the sidewalk, heading towards the yellow buses lined up on the sidewalk. Some students went further and strode past the stoplights towards their homes in the neighborhood close by. Matthew watched them with cold eyes, his mouth set in a firm, stubborn scowl. Robin softly punched him on the arm and studied him, worriedly.

"You doin' okay?" She asked. Matthew could hear the concern in her voice, and it saddened him, truly. There were few people he would willingly put his life on the line for, and Robin was easily one of them. He wasn't sure if he could say the same for Noah. What little time they had already spent together told him good things, but that wasn't enough. That was never enough for him.

"Don't worry about me." Matthew said, flatly. "You should worry more about yourself."

"What do I gotta' worry about?" Robin said, more of a statement than a question. "I'm doin' great."

"Not for long." Matthew tipped his nose at an approaching figure.

"What, Noah?" Robin said. She followed his line of sight and when she laid eyes upon the person who was drawing near, she grimaced and straightened up. "Ugh…" A senior student with long, hollow cheekbones came near, an arrogant smirk plastered over his lips. His eyes were dark brown, on the fringes of pitch black. He wore a striped yellow and black beanie, and his open black hoodie billowed around him as he came to a relaxed stop in front of them. His tattered jeans were tight and patched, and unsightly holes were littered across his dark golden shirt.

"How was your first day, kids?" The senior asked with a composed smile.

"Who wants to know?" Robin asked, icily.

"Huh, that's weird… I'm sensing a little unwarranted hostility." The senior replied, his smile twitching, threatening to twist into an upturned scowl. "Do you resent me for something I've done?"

"It ain't about what you've done." Robin answered, maintaining her cool. "It's about what you didn't do. I thought I told you I never wanted you to show your mug around me ever again?"

"I remember something like that." The antagonistic adolescent muttered under his breath. "A whole summer has gone us by, Robin. Why don't you stop covering your ears and take a hint? I suggest you lighten the hell up."

"And I suggest you get your punk ass outta' my face before I do somethin' you're gonna' regret!" Robin flared, coming forward and standing toe to toe with the senior. She looked up and straight into his eyes. "I'm finished with you and your crap, so you better turn around and walk right back into the shithole you crawled out of to get here. I ain't kidding around, bud, 'cause if you don't hightail it on outta' here, you're gonna' be in a world of hurt!"

The senior's laughter was coarse and rough. To Matthew, it sounded unpleasant. A part of him screamed to step in and stop their confrontation, but he knew he wasn't strong enough. He told himself if something like this ever happened, he would be there to protect her. But when push came to shove, his lips zipped tight and he just stood in the sidelines.

The senior's laughter ceased abruptly. "Listen up, you presumptuous bitch." How quickly and how deathly serious his tone became touched on frightening. "You're the one who started this, not me. Once you get involved with me, you don't just get to leave when you want and waltz off like nothing ever happened. You and I, we're not through. Not by a long shot."

"As far as I'm concerned," Robin whispered, darkly, "you ain't here."

The senior laughed again, only this time, his malevolence went unrestrained. Matthew didn't like the turn this was taking, but Robin's antagonist intimidated him to the point of immobility. He was very familiar with the senior student's reputation: prone to violent behavior and outbursts. Why Robin had even bothered to deal with him in the first place was beyond him, but there was no stopping him now.

"Robin, you've got a lot to learn." The senior's eyes narrowed. "It's not going to be that easy."

"A scumbag like you?" Robin laughed, bitterly. "You're somethin' else, you know that? Why don't you get back to me when _you _grow up?"

The senior, now thoroughly provoked, swore venomously. His right hand reared back and he was on the verge of lashing out and striking Robin before Noah stepped in between them out of the blue, looking into the senior's eyes with tranquil fury. The senior stopped, his hand frozen in the air behind him. Hesitation restrained his arm as his lips twitched in rage, his dark eyes ablaze with anger. "Who the hell are you?" The senior snarled through clenched teeth.

"I'm Noah Scofield." Noah answered without hesitation. "Who are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The senior scoffed, his hand gradually returning to his side. He stared daggers into Noah's eyes, daring him to retaliate. Noah was not an easy person to goad into violence, and the provocative student before him was no more threatening than any other he had confronted in a similar manner. He knew that the senior was looking for any excuse he could get his hands on to initiate a fight, and he wasn't about to fall for his ruse. Once the senior realized this, he stepped back, his livid snarl untwisting itself back into a casual smirk.

"What are you, Robin's white knight? I don't remember you being in Robin's little posse."

Noah shook his head, lips set in a firm line. "I just moved here from out west. I'm new here."

"Oh?" The senior's eyes widened mockingly, his tone feigning interest. "Well how about that? Are you enjoying Glasswater, Noah? Are the whores to your liking?"

Noah grimaced, and he could feel Robin trying to get past him. "What did ya' say to me, you arrogant ass? Come over 'ere and say that to my face!" The senior he was confronting was taller than him, and he could tell beneath the clothing he wore that he was fit too. If things came down to a hand to hand fight, it was very possible he would lose. Noah shook his head and cleared his mind of any self-doubt.

_It doesn't matter if I lose. _Noah thought. _What matters is that I protect Robin and Matthew._

The senior cracked his knuckles and loomed over Noah, gazing down at him beneath heavy brows. He puffed out his chest as a wicked grin spread over his lips. His voice became snakelike and hostile, just quiet enough for solely Noah to be able to hear him. "You think you can take me, huh?" The senior slowly bared his teeth, flashing Noah a menacing smile. "You think you can take me on?"

Noah swallowed nervously, but he stood his ground. "It doesn't matter whether or not I win in a fight." He replied. "What matters is that I stop jerks like you from hurting good people." He was firm and unflinching in his beliefs. Noah had to admit to himself that he was scared in that moment, in the face of daunting opposition. At times like this, he usually turned tail and ran away. But he had to prove to Robin and Matthew that he was worthy of their trust.

The senior gave him a curious look, slightly puzzled that Noah wasn't backing down. Noah spotted the confusion in his eyes, but the senior reared back and scoffed, brushing off Noah's bravado. "Whatever. I'm done here. You kids can have your fun." The senior looked over Noah's shoulder at Robin who glared right back at him. "By the way, don't think for one second that you and I are through. When you're done pretending you're better than everyone else, then we'll talk."

Noah shook his head when he heard that. "You're not going anywhere near her as long as I'm here."

Once again, the senior regarded him with mild concern. This time he seemed more annoyed than interested. He came up close to Noah again, fixing him with an unblinking glare. "You know, you talk big for someone who doesn't know who he's dealing with. I'll warn you ahead of time so you don't get seriously hurt later on. Don't fuck with me. I'm not someone who just sits down and takes other people's shit. You understand the words coming out of my mouth, right?"

Noah did not nod, nor did he shake his head. He simply stood there and returned the senior's fierce look. The senior just shrugged, shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and walked away, staring Noah down as he walked down the sidewalk and around a corner and, eventually, completely out of sight. Once Noah was certain the senior was gone, he sighed and dropped the façade, burying his face in his palms.

_What am I doing? _He thought, warily. _This isn't me. _As Noah wallowed in self-doubt, Robin came up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. She looked at him gratefully as he turned his head, and he returned her appreciation with a shaky smile.

"Thanks, Noah." Robin said. "But I coulda' handled that guy on my own, y'know."

Noah looked at her, and then at Matthew, who gave him a reassuring thumbs up. Noah shrugged his shoulders and laughed it off. "I'm just lucky he didn't hit me."

"Psh, whateva'!" Robin scoffed. "That dude doesn't have the balls to follow through with his threats. I'd take whateva' comes out of his mouth with a tiny, _tiny _grain of salt. He's nothin', trust me."

Noah cocked his head, curiously. He didn't have any reason to doubt her, but he didn't have any reason to believe her either. More than that, he still didn't know who the senior was. "Who was that guy, anyway?"

For a moment, Robin looked like she was about to answer but she stopped herself and shrugged, dodging the question. "Like I was sayin'," She said, "he's nothin' you need to worry about."

Noah knew better than to press the matter, especially given how that had gone over earlier when he had tried to force Matthew's name out of her. He concluded Robin wasn't very keen on giving out the names of people she was personally involved with. Perhaps, at a later time, Robin would feel more at liberty to discuss whatever history she had with him.

_Maybe Matthew will be a little more helpful. _Noah thought.

"Anyway," Robin chirped, already bouncing back into her usual self, "are you guys headin' out now? I can walk with you some of the way, but I'm gonna' separate once we hit Matthew's street."

"That sounds good." Noah agreed. "Are you ready to go, Matthew?"

Matthew looked troubled for a moment, but he quickly agreed. "Yeah. Let's get going."

**! ! !**

The trio of students was silent as they walked down the sidewalk. Each of them waited for one of the others to initiate a topic of discussion, but none of them were up to the talk. Under normal circumstances, Noah guessed that Robin would have taken that opportunity for herself, but her encounter with the senior seemed to have dampened her spirits. To his surprise, however, Matthew was the one who opted to break the silence.

"Hey, Noah," Matthew began as the three of them crossed a stoplight, "what did you think about Glasswater High?"

It was a good question, and Noah hadn't given it much serious thought since school had ended. "It was nice." Noah said after a short while. "It certainly exceeded my expectations."

Robin laughed loudly. Noah looked at her just as she wiped off a line of spit that had dripped past her chin. She made a face, and then smiled again, pretending as if it had never happened. "Expectations, huh? You sayin' your schools are better than ours?"

"Not at all." Noah replied. "I thought Glasswater was a private school at first, remember?"

"Oh… right!" Robin said, smacking her forehead. "The students here ain't like those fancy-schmancy kids who go to schools like that, though. They're just like the kids at any other school. Real down-to-earth types, y'know?"

"Did you meet anyone else besides Seth and us?" Matthew asked.

Noah thought about it, and then nodded. "Actually, yes, I did. Are any of you familiar with Griffith or Lucia?"

"Those two? Of course." Matthew said. "There's no one at Glasswater past freshman year who hasn't heard of them. They're like Seth. Both of them are very well known."

"No kiddin'!" Robin agreed, shivering as a chilled breeze swept across the street. She pulled her hood over her head and rubbed her arms through her sweatshirt. "Griffith's a talented athlete and a really polite fella'. He ain't part of any of the teams though, but everyone wants him. Don't think he'd ever join any of 'em anyway, so I dunno' why they even bother. He never seemed particularly interested." Robin paused as a suggestive smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "And, well, you saw Lucia, didn't ya'? That broad's in a league all of her own. Lotta' guys at the school want to get to know her in an intimate sorta' way, if you know what I'm sayin'." She shot Noah a painfully obvious wink, but he just rolled his eyes. She laughed, and continued. "Anyway, she's a cheerleader for the basketball team. I hear she's doin' somethin' different this year, but that's just the rumor mill hard at work. That's all I really got on 'em. They ain't exactly close friends of mine, but I've talked to 'em a couple of times. They're alright."

Noah reflected, carefully, on what Robin had told him. He didn't know if he would be friends with them in the near future, but if he was going to be spending a year here at Glasswater, he ought to get familiar with as many people as possible. Not a moment went by without his thoughts drifting back to Igor's ominous warnings in the Velvet Room. As time passed, he grew more and more convinced that what had happened that day had not been a dream. There was little evidence to support the opposing hypothesis, but Noah had never experienced a dream as visceral or as vivid as that one. Even if it was a dream, he felt that he had to take what Igor had said to him to heart. Barring that, he still couldn't forget Faith's slight against him. It irked him, the way she had glanced at him so disdainfully. He had something to prove. At that point at time, he didn't know quite what, but he had to show everyone that he was someone who could lead others.

…_Lead others? _Noah thought, puzzled. _Where did that come from? _

For the better part of his life, Noah had always been someone who had gone along with the flow. To lead others was completely at odds with his generally amicable mind-set. At times when he had had to take up a leading man's role, it had never ended up working in his favor. Groups under his jurisdiction usually ended up lost and aimless. There was never any direction to his command. It was all style and no substance.

Noah thought hard about the Velvet Room for a moment, trying to pinpoint a term Igor had mentioned in passing.

"_She says she was curious about the new Wild Card…"_

_Wild Card? _Noah wondered, rubbing his chin. _What did Igor mean by that? _

A voice cut through the air, piercing his musings. "Noah!"

Noah blinked to see Robin and Matthew huddled up close to his face. When they noticed him staring at them, blankly, they sighed in unison. "Robin wasn't kidding about your daydreams." Matthew said, crossing his arms. "You really get lost in your own thoughts, you know that?"

Noah grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry. There's a lot on my mind."

Suddenly, Robin looped her arm under his shoulder and pulled Matthew towards her in similar fashion. She knocked their heads against each other's, gently, and blew air out of her mouth in irritation. "You gotta' stop stressin' so much, Noah. Lay it on us if your head gets too full of crap. We're here for ya', whether you like it or not."

Matthew groaned and tried to wriggle his way out of her grasp. "Ugh, let go, Robin! We get it; you're really touchy-feely. I don't want any part in it!"

Robin grinned mischievously and brought the two of them in tighter, so all three of their heads were joined together like some kind of triple-headed monster. Matthew made a pained face, but Noah could sense his gratitude for her outward displays of friendship. He was certain Robin could as well. Matthew might have acted distant a lot and he might have tried to close himself off from others actively on a daily basis, but Noah knew that he wanted friends just like anyone else. He had to show him that there was nothing wrong with that.

**! ! !**

"Welcome home." Matthew said as he opened the door to his house. From the outside, his home looked modest enough. It was a one-story home with beige walls and a red, tiled roof, and a chimney protruded from somewhere at the back. A rusty, chain-link fence divided his yard from the neighbor's yard to the left and the right, and it extended partway into the front. There was a tiny gate equipped with a heavy padlock, and it had already been opened when they had arrived. A small, gray car was parked haphazardly in the driveway. Noah noticed that the grass in Matthew's front yard was beginning to wither as the tips were on the fringes of light brown.

"You coming or what?" Noah jumped and looked to the front to see Matthew holding the door open, watching him expectantly. Noah ducked his head and came into the house.

"Should I take my shoes off, or…?"

"It's fine." Matthew replied with a wave of his hand. "My mom and dad don't really care." He hesitated as he chose his next words carefully, and then said, "They'll probably just be happy to see you."

"What do you mean?" Noah asked.

Matthew looked away, and then motioned for Noah to follow. "It's nothing. Come on." Matthew turned and walked down a narrow hallway. Noah took a step, making a move to follow, before an incredible pain surged into his head. An unbelievable headache like nothing he had ever experienced tore through his brain as he stood there, grasping his temples in his hands, trying desperately to numb the pulsing and throbbing that beat like a drum in his forehead. It seared like an all-consuming fire, enveloping his consciousness in alternating patterns of black and white. Noah wanted to scream, to cry out, but he was unable to do even that much. He remembered in an instant where he had last experienced this: back on the airplane, after his dream. Noah fell to his knees and clawed at his head, trembling from the effort as he struggled to contain his aching headache. In the throes of delirium, Noah could hear voices calling out to him. He felt a thumping in his chest, pumping and pounding along with his heart.

_What are they saying? _Noah thought feverishly.

And then, in an instant, the pain had gone. Noah got to his feet unsteadily, his eyes bleary and unfocused. For a moment, he had felt like he was about to die. Experiences like that called for a medical professional's opinion, but Noah knew instinctively that this was a problem that extended past a simple trip to the doctor's office. He could feel the tension in the air when he had stepped through Matthew's door. He had felt it all along up until that point, always there but never making itself obvious.

Noah braced himself and shook himself awake. No matter what was to come, he had to be prepared for it. There were no excuses. He had to be strong. He followed the path Matthew had gone through and came into a humble living room. A high definition television sat in an alcove off to the left. There was a brown couch laid out in front that could sit a total of three people. To his right was the kitchen. Half of Matthew's body was in the fridge, pulling out the ingredients for what Noah could only assume was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. An assortment of framed photographs hung on the walls all across the room. Noah guessed that the older folk in the pictures accompanying Matthew were his parents. The Matthew in the photographs looked at odds with the Matthew he knew in real life. He looked genuinely happy in the pictures, something Noah wasn't sure he was ever going to see.

"Are you hungry?" Matthew suddenly spoke. Noah looked at the countertop. There was an extra sandwich sitting on a plate with the toasted edges already sliced off. A cup of water stood next to it. Noah smiled at the sentiment and took a seat at one of the barstools next to the counter. He delicately picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite, taking a look around at the rest of the house.

"Are your parents home?" Noah asked, looking outside of the glass sliding doors into Matthew's backyard.

"They won't be home for a while." Matthew admitted. "They both work pretty late. My mom comes home early sometimes though."

"Is that so?" Noah said, chewing a mouthful of mush thoughtfully.

"Yeah."

An awkward silence followed as the two teenagers sat there, eating their sandwiches and drinking their water. They avoided eye contact whenever they spoke and when they did speak, it was always muffled and quiet. Neither of them was very adept when it came to interacting with someone they weren't familiar with, and that knowledge grew as each painfully silent minute passed them by. Matthew turned once he had finished his meal and he deposited his dishes into the sink as he started to wash them. Noah buried his face in his palms and sighed, quietly.

_How can I be a leader if I've got the appeal of a plate of salad? _Noah groaned inwardly, beating himself on the head as he struggled to come up with a topic of mutual interest. An idea popped into his head, but he was hesitant to give voice to it. He had nothing else to offer, however, so he mustered up his courage and opened his mouth.

"Hey, Matthew?"

"What's up?" Matthew answered, turning his head slightly, momentarily stopping his dishwashing.

"You were supposed to meet Robin this morning, right? If you don't mind me asking, why weren't you there, where you were supposed to meet up with her?"

"Oh, that." Matthew turned his head back to his dishes and continued washing. "I just decided to come to school early that day. Robin made those plans all on her own." He stopped again and chuckled, softly. "I forgot my phone at home, though. Can you believe she sent me fifteen texts and left five voicemails?"

Noah nodded. "I was there. She was really worried about you, you know."

"She was, huh?" Matthew said wistfully as he dried his plate and glass. When he was finished, he carefully set them down and turned around, walking over to the countertop. He sighed and leaned over it, placing his chin in his palm and shutting his eyes. "I don't think it was obvious today, but you ought to know something about Robin."

"What?" Noah said, leaning forward.

"She likes to help people out with their problems. Kind of like a makeshift psychologist." Matthew said. "Not in the way Seth likes to be friends with everybody. She's not above prying into your personal life to get to know you. Usually, this works out in her favor. She knows a lot of people at school and by extension, she's friends with a lot of them too, but there's always the rare occasion where helping people out backfires on her."

"Do you mean the senior?" Noah asked.

"Yup." Matthew affirmed. "That guy's a real piece of work."

"Why didn't Robin tell me his name?" Noah asked. "Come to think of it, she didn't tell me yours either when she got upset."

To Noah's surprised, Matthew laughed. He couldn't hide his confusion as Matthew shook his head and smiled, thinly. "Robin's just really overdramatic like that. Whenever she's helping someone she won't tell anyone else their name because she thinks people will start bothering them. She's an idiot. When she helps someone out, she attracts attention either way." He laughed again, bitterly. "Don't take that the wrong way, though. I'm… I'm glad that she's there." He paused, and then added, "Even if I don't always look like it."

"Anyway, as for the senior?" Matthew continued. "That was Nathaniel. He's like a walking magnet for trouble." He tapped his head. "You know what that means, right?"

"Robin tried to find out if he was a troubled youth with a heart of gold?"

"Bing-o." Matthew said. "You can guess how well that went."

Noah frowned and looked down, and then looked back up. "Do you know the details? That didn't seem like a simple psychiatry session gone wrong. I was getting worried he would actually try to hurt you guys." Noah shuddered as he remembered the pitch black pit in Nathaniel's eyes. "Did you see the way he looked at Robin? He looked like he was prepared to kill her."

Matthew tensed up considerably and nodded. "Robin only said that he didn't have the balls to do anything because she didn't want you to worry about her. Truth of the matter is that guy's seriously messed up in the head." Matthew shook his head in disbelief and looked past Noah into his backyard. The sky was becoming a swirl of misty clouds and purple haze. "He doesn't come to classes very often and when he does, he's always getting into fights with teachers and other students. Something happened between him and Robin, when he was a Junior and she was a Sophomore. I don't know what, but ever since then, he keeps coming back and trying to get her to come to some stupid club he frequents upstate."

As Noah listened to Matthew tell him about Nathaniel and the rumors surrounding him, he struggled to stop himself from asking Matthew why he did nothing to help Robin. He realized that Matthew was not an outgoing person and he was aware of the fact that Matthew just wasn't socially proficient in general, but he felt like that didn't excuse Matthew from supporting Robin during her spat with Nathaniel. Still, he didn't want to create a rift between him and Matthew, so he kept his mouth sealed.

"But enough about that." Matthew finished. Noah hadn't heard what Matthew had to say during his musings. He sucked in his lips and hoped Matthew wouldn't notice. "You probably don't want to spend all night talking shit on some jerk none of us like. You want to head upstairs?"

"Sure." Noah nodded, finishing his sandwich and what water remained in his glass. He grabbed his bag and followed Matthew as they went back down the hallway and up an old, wooden, rickety staircase. Every step up the stairs creaked and wailed as they climbed, eventually reaching the second floor to Matthew's home. The second floor was compromised of a small hallway flanked by 3 rooms on either side, two on the left and one on the right. An advanced, sleek computer sat at the end of the hallway with all sorts of books and papers scattered around the desktop. Matthew made his way down, headed towards the room on the far left. Noah followed suit.

He couldn't help but be reminded of Catherine's home as they went to his room. Matthew's room was in the same place his was back at the apartment. The door on the right—where Catherine's husband presumably slept inside of—was a bathroom in Matthew's home. Noah cleared his head of the troubling thought and entered Matthew's room.

The first thing that stuck out to Noah most was how sparklingly clean it was. There was a small television in the upper right corner of the room. An assortment of video game consoles were hooked up to it. All of the controllers were neatly wrapped up and the cables were orderly and organized. A comfortable looking beanbag was set up in front of the television. There was a makeshift wooden board nailed up on one of the walls, and a small library of games on it was held together by two, metal bookends. Matthew's bed in the opposite corner was neatly made. There was a study desk at the foot of the bed, and all of the pens and pencils and papers and books and notes were efficiently compiled into their own subsections. Noah whistled, impressed.

"You've got a pretty classy room!" Noah said, marveled.

"I try." Matthew said, trying to conceal his pride. He set his backpack down by his study desk and pulled out his binder, placing it on the top next to his pencils and erasers. He sat in the chair and pointed to the beanbag. "You play any videogames, Noah?"

"When I have the time." Noah said, taking a seat and breathing a sigh of relief as the beanbag molded to the shape of his body. "I can't afford many games, though.

"Neither can I." Matthew said, opening a folder and pulling out a stack of papers. He reached into his backpack and put on a pair of glasses. "I work a part-time job at a game shop at the local mall. It's a little small, but we have all the stores you'd expect a mall to have."

Noah was taken aback. The more he learned about Matthew, the more his confusion grew surrounding Matthew's lack of friends or social aptitude.

_I don't understand…_ Noah thought, blankly. _Matthew doesn't seem any different than any other person his age. Why would it be hard for him to make friends? _Noah thought about it a little more, and he sighed as no answer came to him. _Maybe that's the issue? Maybe Matthew doesn't stick out? Or maybe I'm just thinking too hard about it? _

"Here." Matthew suddenly leaned over Noah's shoulder and turned on one of the consoles. The title of a popular shooting game popped up onto the screen. Matthew unrolled one of the controllers and placed it into Noah's hand. "I don't know if you've played it before. It's pretty easy. Just shoot the bad guys and follow the leader." Once he saw that Noah had a firm grasp on the game's handling, he returned to his desk. Noah smiled gratefully and kept himself preoccupied with the video game. He thought about what he was doing.

_Shoot the bad guys and follow the leader, huh? _Noah's thumbs slipped over the analog sticks and he fumbled the button prompts that occasionally appeared onscreen. _Am I even capable of leading? I can't even follow this stupid videogame… _

"I know you don't play much, but you're pretty awful at this." Matthew laughed, unexpectedly. Noah shrugged and held up the controller, offering it to Matthew. Matthew turned around in his chair and rolled over, taking it from his hands. Noah watched as Matthew skillfully maneuvered his way through corridors and buildings, popping in and out of cover every so often in order to eliminate targets as they presented themselves to him. It might have been just a video game, but he couldn't help but be impressed at Matthew's proficiency.

_Maybe it's not about leading others. _Noah thought as he watched Matthew play. _Maybe… it's something more than that. Maybe it's about being able to trust in and rely on friends. Did I have it wrong all along? _

Another thought occurred to him. They seemed to be getting along pretty well, so Noah figured that the potential backlash for his question wouldn't be too damaging.

"Hey, Matthew." Noah said.

"What is it?"

"Since Robin makes it her business to help people out with their problems," Noah continued, cautiously, "what exactly is she helping you out with?"

Matthew's smile slowly dropped. Noah cursed himself as he watched Matthew's sunny disposition take a turn for the darker. He realized he had made a terrible mistake.

"I think it's pretty obvious." Matthew said, glumly. "I don't have friends. I can't make friends. That's the long and short of it, pretty much." Matthew hung his head. "I just can't. I don't know how. Doesn't matter how hard I try, doesn't matter what I say or do. I just suck, period. I don't even know why Robin still bothers with me. I'm boring and I'm not interesting and I never know what to say to her and we're quiet a lot of the time and I, I…"

Noah kept silent, waiting for him to finish. They had already gone this far. He might as well see this through to the bitter end. It wasn't like there was any stopping it now.

"…I just wish I could be a better friend." Matthew finished. There were no tears in his eyes, but his face was expressionless, blank. Noah had a feeling he knew where this was headed. "When Nathaniel was putting the pressure on her, I just stood there. I stood there and I didn't say a God damn _word_. I felt like shit the whole time. I should have said something. I should have told him to back the hell off. I should have punched him in his smug, stupid face." In a fit of rage, Matthew's leg lashed out, striking the wall. A few of the games on his shelf tumbled onto the floor. "I should have done what _you _did, Noah! I should have been the one to stop him, but I didn't. I didn't stop him. I failed, both as a man and as a friend. I can't imagine how Robin must be disappointed in me. How could she not be?"

Matthew sat there for a time, breathing heavily and struggling to regain his composure. Noah stood by quietly, letting the heat of the moment cool down. The soldier on the television screen had died long since, the game stuck on a screen that asked if the player wanted to continue or give up. When Matthew's ragged breaths slowed to a steady tempo, Noah turned around and faced him. He kept how he had acted with Robin in mind as he sorted through his thoughts, looking for the proper words. Once he had a bead on them, he inhaled, exhaled, and then smiled gently.

"If Robin thought you were as boring as you think you are, do you think she'd still be around?" He raised a hand and, upon realizing Matthew's shoulder was too far away from his current vantage point, awkwardly placed it on Matthew's knee instead. The intent was to comfort, so he hoped Matthew wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"She's hanging out with me because that's what she does." Matthew muttered, cynically. "She's waiting until she thinks I'm good enough to fly out of the nest and then she'll leave, just like everyone else."

"I don't think that's true at all." Noah said. "Do you really think that's the kind of person Robin is? Matthew, come on. She hasn't stuck by you all this time because she thinks she has an obligation to fulfill." He stared Matthew straight in the eye, making sure that he knew that all of the words coming from his mouth were coming from his heart as well. "She's stuck by you this whole time because she knows that you're a good person, deep down. She's trying her hardest to coax that person to the surface. I can see it too, Matthew. I know that this isn't just some fleeting feeling. You need to give yourself more credit."

For a brief moment, Matthew looked incredibly thankful. Noah caught the flash of hope that sparkled in his eyes, and he knew that something he had said had gotten through to him. Nonetheless, Matthew shook his head, denying Noah's retorts. What he had said wasn't enough. "I appreciate that, Noah, I really do. But I think you're seeing more than what's really there."

"No." Noah declared bluntly. "I don't think I'm wrong about this."

"Well, that's easy for you to say." Matthew replied. "You don't know what it's like. Try walking a day in my shoes. Hearing everyone talk about you behind your back. Seeing people walk away when they see you coming. You don't know what that's like. Not until it happens to you."

"What?" Noah said in disbelief, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean walk a day in your shoes? Lucky for you, I don't have to; I know plenty about that. Don't act like you're the only one here who suffers from loneliness, and don't assume you know anything about my life, because you don't."

"Oh, you're one to talk!" Matthew snapped. "That's rich, coming from a guy who just made bullshit claims about someone _he _didn't know! Tch!" Matthew turned his face away from Noah, his eyes growing dark. "I knew this was a bad idea. You should never have come here." Matthew rolled back to his desk and hunched over his binder, burying his head beneath his arms. "You shouldn't sleep here. Just go home, Noah. I'm sorry I invited you for nothing."

Noah hadn't noticed it happen as time had progressed, but the room had grown considerably darker since his arrival at Matthew's room. A single source of light beamed weakly from the television set in front of him, and it gave the room an eerie, unsettling glow. It certainly didn't help improve the mood as Noah desperately tried to think of something to cool the tiny fire that had sparked between him and Matthew. Unfortunately, he came up short. Matthew had been right. In the end, what did he know? By what right did he have the final say in the validity of Matthew's true character? Was it intuition? Pride?

"It's… I just… I'm sorry." Noah murmured unconfidently. His voice was low and restrained. He had to fight to keep both his anger at himself and his pride in check. On one hand, he knew he should have never brought up Matthew's history with Robin. He should have known that it would have only created a rift between them. On the other hand, however, he was frustrated that Matthew was making things so difficult. A tiny part of him was frustrated that Matthew was being so selfish. He was very familiar with the pain of loneliness and abandonment. That was one issue he found difficult to let go.

_At least Matthew still has a mother and a father. _Noah thought to himself, bitterly. _What the hell does he know about being alone? _

As Noah and Matthew sat there, not talking to each other out of contempt, the front door downstairs opened. Noah could hear plastic bags being placed onto the floor and the tell-tale jingle of keys on a ring. The door closed, and a cheery voice came ringing through the household.

"Matthew! I'm home! What's this other pair of shoes doing here?"

Matthew didn't say anything for a few seconds, but eventually, he mumbled, "Fantastic."

Noah didn't ask, but he assumed that one of Matthew's parents had come home. From the tone of voice, it must have been Matthew's mother. He heard her ascend the staircase softly. In the painful silence that gripped the room, her padded footsteps sounded like hunks of bricks falling off of a multi-story building. The footsteps drew nearer to the room until they arrived at the doorstep. Matthew suddenly shot up in his seat when the shadow of his mother's feet appeared beneath the crevice of his doorframe. He began to feign an intensive study session as the doorknob to his room began to turn. It took Noah just a second to understand Matthew's aim, and when he did, he whipped around and hit one of the buttons on the controller. The screen blared to life again and the chaos within the videogame pressed onwards. Matthew's door slowly opened.

"Oh!" The woman said in surprise. Noah turned and spotted a middle-aged woman standing in the doorway. She had dark hair—like Matthew's—and it was tied up into a bun at the top of her head. The tips of her hair were going gray. Her face was slightly withered, but she still looked very kind. She smiled when she met Noah's wandering gaze. "What's all this now? Are you a friend of Matthew's?"

Noah glanced at Matthew who pretended not to hear the question. Breathing slowly, Noah smiled and nodded, hesitantly. "Yes, I'm Noah Scofield. I just moved here and your son invited me to spend the night over." Noah saw Matthew turn his head slightly at that. Was he surprised that Noah was choosing to stay over, even after their argument? Whatever the case might have been, his subtle showcase of interest let him breathe a tiny sigh of relief. Perhaps he could salvage what remained of tonight yet.

"That's wonderful!" The woman exclaimed, clapping her hands. "You boys go on and enjoy yourselves. I'm going to be downstairs, cooking up dinner. If you need anything, Noah, don't hesitate to come and ask! My home is your home, and all that!" Excitedly, she closed the door and quickly walked away, down the staircase and into the kitchen. Once Matthew was positive she was out of earshot, he turned around and draped his arm over the backrest of his chair.

"Are… are you still staying?"

"Of course I am." Noah answered as he smiled at Matthew tiredly. It had been a long day, and all of the events that had transpired since his awakening were finally beginning to take their toll on his body.

"That's… that's cool, I guess." Matthew stammered. "Here, let me set up your sleeping bag so we can hit the sacks straight after dinner." He got up from his chair and walked over to his closet, sliding it open in order to retrieve a thick roll from the back. He unclasped the buckle that was keeping it tightly closed and rolled it out next to his bed. Once he had eliminated any air bubbles left inside of it, he took one of the pillows from his bed and set it up at the head of the sleeping bag. Matthew stepped back and examined his handiwork, and then slipped back to his desk and continued to work on his studies.

Deciding that leaving it at that was better than trying to improve relations between him and Matthew, Noah returned to the videogame and played up until dinnertime.

**! ! !**

Dinner had consisted of an adequately cooked steak with a side of vegetables and mashed potatoes. The meat had been a little tough, but overall, Noah thought that it was delicious. Noah's conversation with Matthew's parents had gone about as well as he would have expected. They had asked him the usual questions any parent would have asked of the friend of their son or daughter. Who was he living with? Where was he living? Did he like living in a new city, a new state? What did he want to be when he grew up? What college was he going to? Did he know how to drive yet? Was he going to get a part-time job? How had he met Matthew? Had he met Robin yet? Did he have a girlfriend yet? Was he going to join any of the extracurricular clubs at Glasswater High? Did he like the food they had cooked? All in all, the meal and the company had been pleasant indeed. The tension Noah had created between him and Matthew had not completely worn off, but they acted as naturally as they could have at that time. When the meal ended, Noah thanked Matthew's parents for the food and the two of them ascended back into Matthew's room.

"You need a toothbrush, don't you?" Matthew said once they reached his doorway.

"Oh, yeah, actually, I do. You said you had an extra change of clothes too, didn't you?"

"Yup. Hold on, let me go ahead and get them." Matthew turned his doorknob, but Noah stopped him. Matthew turned his head and looked at him, but avoided eye contact with Noah when he did. Noah's shoulders sagged disappointedly, but he resolved himself to have the elephant in the room dealt with.

"Hey, about earlier…"

Matthew tensed up, shrugged Noah's hand off of his shoulder, and walked into his room, interrupting Noah mid-apology. He flicked the light switch on and opened one of his drawers, pulling out a pair of shorts and a shirt. He stood up, walked back, and pushed the clothes into Noah's arms. Matthew looked down at the floor, but eventually, he met Noah's worried gaze. He struggled for a bit, but a small smile finally appeared on his lips. "Don't worry about it, dude. We all make mistakes."

Noah breathed a sigh of relief and returned his smile. "Thank you, Matthew. I'm glad I decided to stay over, in the end."

_This is what I meant, Matthew. _Noah thought, elatedly. _You've got some good in you, even if you don't think you do. I'll show you one day. You'll see it for yourself. I promise._

The two teenagers brushed their teeth and retired to their beds, spent and exhausted. They spent a little while talking about nothing in particular: about the school, about life, about Seth, about Robin, about Lucia and Griffith, about Glasswater, about anything and everything that came to their minds. Eventually, the time between remarks grew larger and larger until, finally, the two of them fell asleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Starting today, I will be keeping a running tally of social link developments throughout the course of the story at the end of every chapter. I'm rolling over Robin and Seth's social links into this chapter since I've been trying to figure out a decent way to incorporate them into the story without it being intrusive of the narrative. Kudos to Neomycin for the idea, I probably wouldn't have done this without his input. Anyway, I hope whoever's been reading this story up 'till now is enjoying it! I'm glad you're coming along with me on this journey, and I hope you stick with me until the very end. Thanks, and until next time!

**Social Links:**

_Fool (The Team): 0 + 1 = 1  
Magician (Matthew): 0 + 1 = 1  
Justice (Robin): 0 + 1 = 1  
Tower (Seth): 0 + 1 = 1  
Temperance (Aunt Catherine + ?): 0 + 1 = 1_


	6. Chapter 6, Persona!

Chapter 6 – Persona!

A shrill scream tore through the air like a serrated knife, jolting Noah awake from his slumber. His eyes snapped open and he shot up, his heart pounding loudly and his forehead throbbing. His vision was hampered by his drowsiness and he rubbed his eyes, trying to clear away the fog marring his eyesight. Bit by bit, little by little, Noah came to recognize the identity of his surroundings… and when he did, his heart stopped on a dime.

Somehow, someway, by some irrational, preposterous measure, Noah had awoken within Mr. Schrodinger's classroom at Glasswater High School. Noah's eyes wandered around the room in disbelief. He eventually found that he was seated at his desk, but he was still dressed in the clothes Matthew had lent him before they had gone to sleep. Noah slowly stood up from his chair and took a better look at the classroom.

The physical construction of Mr. Schrodinger's classroom was exactly as it had been just hours ago, but there were several, key differences between this room and its original counterpart. Several of the desks were upturned and there were sheets of paper scattered all across the floor. As Noah took a closer look at the wood of the desks, he noticed that some of them were beginning to rot.

_That can't be! _Noah thought frantically. _These desks were like new! _He stepped out from the confines of his own desk and gripped one of the upturned tables lying on the floor. When his fingers made contact with the wood, however, it fell away from him and crumbled into powdery sawdust onto the floor Noah stood there, transfixed onto the spot in shock. Tiny, white, writhing maggots thrashed wildly within the wood of the desk, some of the looser ones falling onto the floor. Noah drew himself up and stepped back, steadying himself on his desk. His heart was caught in his throat, and he was quickly finding it difficult to breathe.

The paint and plaster covering the walls were eroding. Noah could see the hardwood framework revealing itself beneath rolled up bits of wallpaper. The light fixtures hanging from the ceiling flickered on and off rhythmically, like some macabre lightshow. Noah didn't know what to make of what he was seeing. The imagery, the location, the atmosphere, everything was indescribably surreal and bizarre.

He didn't like it.

Between the period Noah and Matthew had gone to sleep and the time of Noah's awakening, something had gone seriously wrong. One minute he and Matthew had been fast sleep inside of Matthew's room, and the next thing he knew, he was at Glasswater High. Matthew was nowhere to be found, and the school appeared to be in a state of unspeakable disrepair.

A thought suddenly occurred to Noah. He reached into his pocket and withdrew his cell phone. Once it was in his hand, he flipped it open and glanced at the time.

_12:00 AM. _Noah went to his contacts and thumbed through his list. From top to bottom, Noah had the numbers of his mother, Catherine, Matthew, Robin, and Seth. The indicator hovered over Catherine and he hesitated, wondering whether or not his call would go through. Noah bit his lip, and then pressed the call button. A few uneasy seconds of dead static passed before a loud, wailing siren suddenly blared to life out of nowhere. Noah jumped, startled, and dropped his cell phone in the process. He covered his ears and looked at the intercom perched in the upper corner of the classroom uneasily. A noisy, penetrating wail surged through the speaker system, drowning out his thoughts in a tidal wave of deafening noise. The siren went on and on for what seemed like forever until, finally, it gradually faded out.

_This has to be some kind of sick, twisted dream. _Noah thought desperately as he recovered his cell phone. He looked outside the classroom window and when he did, he squinted in confusion. Slowly, he approached the windowsill, his mind running amok with dozens of questions.

_Mr. Schrodinger's classroom was on the first floor. _Noah thought. _There isn't any doubt in my mind that that's true. So if that's the case, then why can I… _

When Noah reached the window, he pressed his face against the cold glass. His eyes wandered around aimlessly at the unfeasible sight sitting in front of him. All of Noah's thought processes slowed to a crawl as his eyes widened in horror. His mind failed to comprehend the scale, the sheer magnitude of what he was seeing. From the moment he had woken up, it had been simple to tell that something was amiss. The putrid smell, the rotting wood, the overturned desks, the incoherent scribbles on the chalkboard, the flickering lights… all of these items combined created the image of some kind of abandoned high school. Those observations, alone, were enough to shake Noah to his very core.

The sight that lay just outside of the window, however, was on an entirely different level of strange.

It was endless darkness. There was no ground, there was no sky, and there was no horizon. All that existed in whatever warped realm he was in was a sea of infinite stars. Below the school, above the school, extending out into the far reaches of the nether was a sea of twinkling, shimmering lights. From Noah's vantage point, the school appeared to be suspended in the boundless realms of space. Noah could not identify any planets or any constellations or anything resembling astronomical familiarity. He could see no Sun, no Moon, no Earth, no nothing. Noah swallowed the hardened lump of spit that had accumulated in the back of his throat as the full impact of what was happening to him finally hit home.

For all he knew, Noah was alone. Somehow, just that thought by itself scared him more than all the things he had already witnessed combined. It wasn't monsters or bullets or immoral thugs that got to him. No, being alone was much more painful than any of that. There was something dreadfully fleeting within the cold embrace of isolation.

Noah shut his eyes and he stifled his quickening breath. In his adrenaline-fueled panic attack, he had fogged up a portion of the glass in front of him. He focused on soothing the rapid cadence of his heart, willing it to stabilize back into a healthy, natural rhythm. Like with the Velvet Room, Noah was absolutely certain that this was no dream. If it was, the repercussions for not taking it seriously could be disastrous. He did not know where he was going to go or how he was going to escape, but opening the window lock and flinging himself outside into the empty reaches of space would have been a fruitless endeavor. He had given serious consideration to that thought when he had seen the outside world of this realm, but knowing that Matthew could have also been here with him stayed his hands.

Noah gingerly placed his fingers on the glass and pushed himself away. He turned around and came face to face with the classroom. Taken in all at once, there was something dreadfully ominous about the room. The withered wallpaper seemed to sail in the flow of a nonexistent breeze, and Noah could hear a faint, distant bell ringing off in the distance. Under normal circumstances, Noah would have questioned the existence of the bell tower in a world such as this, but he figured there were far worse things looming in the shadows than invisible clock towers.

Steeling himself for whatever may come, Noah walked across the creaky, wooden floorboards. When he reached the door, he placed his hand over the knob and took several, deep breaths. Every time he so much as blinked, he felt like something would jump out at him from his peripheries and gobble him up right then and there. The ambiance of this world was suffocating, and Noah wanted nothing more than to find Matthew and get out.

Noah turned the doorknob and walked outside into the hallways of the alternate Glasswater High School.

**! ! !**

Noah's fears that he would be assaulted by terrible, hideous creatures only worsened with time as he explored more and more of his alternate high school. As with Mr. Schrodinger's classroom, the rest of the school was similarly ruined. Every now and then one of the wooden floorboards would snap beneath the weight of Noah's feet as he stepped onto it, and beneath the wood would be nothing but an endless, pitch black void. At one point—out of a growing sense of morbid curiosity—Noah had gotten down on all hands and knees and stuck his arm through one of the holes he had created. In doing so, he felt nothing, and there didn't appear to be anything residing within the darkness. He had stuck his ear against the creaky wood. He had tried illuminating the dark space with the light of his cell phone. On all counts, there was nothing there.

As Noah pressed on, lockers would swing open on rusty hinges as he walked by them. Doors to classrooms would burst open and slam shut of their own volition. Some of the doors would open out into the empty, starry space Noah had seen out the window in the classroom he had woken up in. It was like a recreation of some kind of Halloween haunted-house of the Glasswater High School variety. The only issue was that here, whatever demons may have been lurking beneath the surface weren't students or teachers dressed up in leather costumes and paper masks. Noah knew that anything that lived in this realm besides him and Matthew could only have been hostile. It was an inherent feeling, but it was one he knew to be true.

After a while, Noah began to wonder if there could be other people wandering around the school, like him. It was a long shot, but anything was possible, especially keeping in mind how little he knew about this place. Given the way things were going, Noah would have been happy to see even someone such as Nathaniel loitering around. Every passing minute was a pockmark on his sanity, and it took all of his collective courage not to give in and give up. Noah rounded a corner, and he remembered it as the location where he had first met Seth. Warm memories played like old movie reels in his head: Seth's easy-going attitude and his overtly friendly demeanor. Robin punching Matthew in the jaw. Catherine meeting him at the airport with truckloads of fast food in her arms. Those moments, however brief they might have been, were all he had now. He held on to them dearly as he made his way deeper and deeper into the school. In those moments, they acted as a guiding flame leading him to greener pastures.

Eventually, Noah found himself in front of the cafeteria double doors. He tried to peek through the two window holes, but they were smeared over with a dark, thick, unknown substance. Noah knew that that was as good a warning sign as any to turn around and walk as fast as he could in the opposite direction, but he was past the point of caring. By this point, being picky and choosy about where he needed to go wasn't an option. This was as good a chance as any to find Matthew. He had to take it, regardless of how much his brain screamed at him to turn and run. Noah wrapped his hands around the rusted steel handles and pushed the doors open.

Noah didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed once he had opened the doors. Like the rest of the school, the lights would flicker constantly, swamping the room in murky darkness in one moment and then bathing it in blinding light immediately after. Noah sighed and he was about to head back the way he came before he stopped.

Something was happening to the cafeteria hall. It was subtle, but it was there.

At first glance, it wasn't obvious, but Noah was certain he had seen something. He stepped through the entrance hesitantly, allowing the double doors to swing back and forth behind him. He watched the cafeteria blink from dark to light for several, long minutes before he finally realized what was happening. He didn't know how he hadn't noticed it before.

_That's impossible… _Noah thought, torn between dread and fascination.

On appearance, the cafeteria was as he would have expected it to look in this world. Many of the long tables were flipped onto their sides, and there were smatterings of moldy food splashed across the walls and the floors. Trays were scatter-shot and there was a vast array of plastic utensils littering the floor. Pots and pans were strewn across the tables and Noah recognized some of the foodstuffs contained within—namely, a green, unappealing blob of unidentifiable gunk.

What bothered him the most, however, was what happened to the cafeteria once the lights shut off. Every now and then, the room would transform from a cafeteria hall to what appeared to be the long, carpeted aisles of a church foyer. The long tables would become wooden pews lined up in neat, orderly rows all the way down to where he stood at the back, next to the double doors. The middle aisle—currently inundated with a veritable catalogue of kitchenware—would become a long, red carpet stretching all the way up to a central podium at the front. Behind the podium was an overly large church organ, its golden pipes reaching far up into the ceiling like long, yellow fingers. The glass stained window at the far, upper wall on the opposite side of the room would reorganize itself in an instant, depicting Mother Mary holding Jesus Christ in the manger in stain-glass form.

There was a deluge of adjectives Noah could have used to describe how he had felt in that moment, but put bluntly, terror was the most prominent. He found it difficult to turn away as the scene constantly swung back and forth like a pendulum. Again and again it would transform under the covers of darkness like some kind of impossible magician's trick. It would shift from a cafeteria hall to a lavishly designed church room, constantly, and without pause.

Noah stepped forward and laid his hand on one of the upright cafeteria tables. The lights flickered off, and then back on, and suddenly his hand would be sitting atop the backrest of a church pew. He let the eerie splendor of the moment sink in before he recoiled and backed away. Mind going blank, he stumbled backwards into the hallway and landed hard on his bosom. The double doors swung back and forth, shutting the scene out in one moment and revealing it again in the next.

The door swung in. A cafeteria hall. The door swung out, towards him. A church. The door swung in again, this time traveling a smaller distance. A cafeteria hall. The door swung out, the distance traveled even smaller than before. Between the tiny, closing gap of the double-doors, a church. After a time, the double doors stopped swinging and Noah found himself alone with his thoughts. His arms were trembling and his entire body was completely frozen. He felt numb and cold. He could feel the warm memories of Glasswater High School slipping from his fingers as what had just transpired before him hammered itself deep into the pits of his brain like a long, rusty nail.

Noah's arms slowly went up to his head and he shrunk into a tight ball. Thin rivulets of tears began to stream down his face as his composure began to crumble.

_What am I supposed to do? _Noah sobbed in silence. _Where am I supposed to go? _Shaking, Noah reached into his pocket with his right hand, his left arm wrapped tightly around his knees. He flipped open his cell phone again and looked at the time, hoping that there would be something there to point to all of this being one, big, horrible nightmare.

_12:00 AM. _

Noah sat in silence.

He stared at the time blankly, the numerical values blinking in the flickering darkness.

Noah convulsed, got on his hands and knees, his body heaving.

_No, no, no! What the hell is all this? What is going on? Why won't I wake up? Please, God, don't leave me, please, please, please, don't leave me here, I don't want to die, I don't want to be left alone! Please, just let me wake up, please just let this all be a dream! Please, please, please, please, please… _

Silently, he cried, tiny drops of tears landing on the wooden floor. Alone and despaired, Noah allowed all of his fears to pour out from him.

Believing he had nothing left to give, Noah struggled to his feet, his hands resting on his knees.

And then, he vomited.

**! ! !**

Noah lurched from locker to locker, drunkenly stumbling down yet another hallway. Every now and then he thought he saw formless, blobby shadows watching him out of the corners of his eyes. It was difficult to tell in his delusions as he wasn't quite sure how much more of this world he could take. As it were, his resolution was dwindling fast, and it was only a matter of time until the next impossible anomaly completely wiped what little of it remained.

Noah tightly gripped a wooden railing as leverage as he ascended a staircase to the second floor of Glasswater High. He hadn't been here before, but it was the only place left to explore. If there was nothing here to help him find a way out of this nightmare, he knew he would be stuck forever. This was Noah's last resort, and he had to stick it out until the bitter end.

Unsurprisingly, the second floor wasn't very different from the first. The air was still arid and lifeless and—by this world's inane standards—nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Noah dragged his feet as he sluggishly pressed forward, his balance off-kilter as he steadied himself on the lockers. The siren sounded again, but Noah was unfazed. It was maddeningly difficult for him to focus on just moving his body, let alone the deafening noise blaring from the speakers. His mind was a whirling tornado of half-baked thoughts and melancholic longing for his friends and family.

When Noah had reached the halfway point of the hallway, he stopped. His ears pricked up. He had heard something… not the ethereal wind flowing in and out of the rooms, nor the wail of the intercoms. He leaned forward, his focus keen and unwavering.

It was faint, but it was there. Noah could hear voices emanating at the end of the hallway, from one of the classrooms. Noah's heart thudded in his chest as he broke into a steady jog. Beads of sweat formed at the top of his forehead as he drew closer and closer to the classroom. He didn't know what to expect. By now, he knew that any number of things could have been in that classroom. It was very possible he was hallucinating, and that there was no one inside at all.

_Perish the thought_. Noah murmured to himself. It mattered little to him who or what could be inside. He would take anything.

Noah wrapped his hand around the doorknob. He felt sick and lightheaded. His breathing was labored and he was nauseous. The voices were muffled and it was impossible to tell from where he was to identify who was behind the door. Either way, he knew it didn't really matter. He was going to go inside whether he liked it or not. Time slowed as he turned the knob. He sidled his body through the gap, shut the door behind him, and then looked forward.

Noah froze. All of his mental faculties completely shut down in the wake of the demented scene playing out in front of him. His lips parted, but no words came out. And after everything he had gone through, could anyone blame him? This was just one more surrealist spectacle, and he was just a witness to its lunacy.

The two figures in the middle of the classroom turned their heads to look at him. Noah's eyes went from one to the other, his mouth agape. One of them laughed, his head rearing back and his mouth stretching to its limit. The other was on his hands and knees and it looked like it wanted to say something to Noah, but he just looked down and avoided eye contact. Much like Noah, he looked empty and broken.

In that moment, Noah didn't know quite what to think or who to believe.

There were two Matthews in the classroom. They were dressed exactly alike and there was virtually nothing Noah could use to single one apart from the other.

_Hold on… _Noah thought. He stared harder at the Matthew who was standing up, and then he saw it. Yellow eyes. The Matthew he knew had brown eyes. But the Matthew standing up—with his arrogant smirk and his overconfident posture—had yellow eyes. Noah could only assume that the Matthew on the floor was the Matthew he had met at the real Glasswater High School. Unless he spoke to them head-on, he would never find out.

"M-Matthew?" Noah began, cautiously.

The Matthew standing up smiled at that and held his arms outwards towards Noah in salutation.

"The guest of honor has finally arrived!" His Cheshire grin grew wider with unsubstantiated joy. "We were starting to get worried you wouldn't show, but alas, here you are! Oh, think of the fun we'll have together, Matthew! Just you, me, and Noah!" The upright Matthew bent his legs and placed his hands on his knees as he talked down to the nonresponsive Matthew on the floor.

Noah was at a loss for words. When had Matthew gotten so theatrical? The Matthew he knew was quiet, composed, and observant. This Matthew was bombastic, excitable, and overly friendly. Noah was certain he had a lead on who the real Matthew was, but he couldn't be totally sure.

"You're not Matthew." Noah probed. "Who are you?"

Matthew's head snapped to Noah. There was an exaggerated pout on his lips. "You wound me, Noah! I'm Matthew! Matthew Livingston! Don't you recognize me?"

Noah shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't."

Matthew's eyes narrowed as his scowl straightened into a firm, expressionless line. He shrugged, indifferent. "Well, you can't please everybody I guess. Wouldn't you agree, Matthew?" The Matthew with yellow eyes raised his foot and planted it atop the other Matthew's head, grinding his heel into his hair. "C'mon Matthew, speak up! We can't hear you!"

Instinctively, Noah sprinted forward. His body collided mid-air with an invisible wall and he collapsed onto the floor, the wind knocked from his lungs. The Matthew with yellow eyes looked at Noah disdainfully as he lay crumpled on the ground. There was a look of pure contempt running underneath his yellow irises as he clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

"Look at him, Matthew. Look at him struggling, just for you!" His attention returned to the Matthew on the floor. "Why don't you say hi?"

The Matthew on the floor lifted his head and glared with revulsion at the Matthew with yellow eyes. Seeing this, the Matthew with yellow eyes' eyebrows raised.

"Leave him alone." The Matthew on the floor whispered quietly.

"I'm sorry," The other Matthew said, fingering his ear with his pinky, "I couldn't quite catch that. Would you kindly—"

"I said leave him alone!" The Matthew on the floor slammed his fists onto the ground and drew himself up to his full height, pushing the other Matthew back in a fit of rage.

The other Matthew licked his lips and clutched his chest with a tight, balled-up fist. "Your ire is invigorating, Matthew. But this is no revelation to either of us, is it? After all… you and I are one and the same."

Noah watched as what he assumed to be the real Matthew froze, teetering backwards on wobbly legs. That Matthew gripped his temples in his hands and shook his head from side to side, as if he were trying to clear what the other Matthew had said from his mind. His eyes shut tight and his voice came shrieking out of him, rickety and irresolute. "No, we're not… I don't act like that. I don't act like you!"

"Matthew, Matthew, Matthew," The other Matthew's iterations were eerily consoling as he strode forward on bouncy heels, "Listen to me! Stop pretending like you don't know who I am." He came to a gentle stop in front of the real Matthew and he wrapped his hands around the real Matthew's face. "Just admit it already. Right here, right now, with Noah Scofield as our one and only witness. Let's say it together! You are me, and I am you."

"Stop talking, God-damn it!" The real Matthew spat as he attempted to wrestle away from the other Matthew's clutches. "You don't exist, none of this is real!"

"That's just it, Matthew!" The other Matthew sang merrily. "I _do _exist, inside of you, in the deepest, darkest, corners of your soul… in places you'll never admit to in person." Noah could see the knuckles whiten on the Matthew with yellow eyes' hands as they wrapped tighter and tighter around the real Matthew's face. "I was there when you met Robin, while you lay in that alleyway bloody and broken after that beating those bullies gave you! I was there every single time you pushed her away and wallowed in self-pity!" Noah could see that the real Matthew's face was in pain—whether it was from the other Matthew's physical constrictions or the words dripping from his lips, he was unsure. "I was there when Noah came strutting into the classroom, all proud and full of confidence!" The other Matthew smirked, his voice laced thick with ire. "I was there while you played second fiddle to Noah while he saved the girl you didn't."

Matthew, having had enough of the other Matthew's diatribe, violently wrenched his head away from the other Matthew's grasp. The other Matthew was quicker as he darted forward and grabbed the real Matthew by the collar of his shirt with both of his hands. "And I'll always be there, Matthew. I'll be there when you meet the love of your life. I'll be there during the wedding ceremony, during the honeymoon, during your lovemaking. I'll be there when you birth your first child. I will be the nagging sense of self-doubt, eating away at every moment that brings you joy. I will be there for as long as you live. I will be there every waking hour of your pathetic life, from the mornings you wake up dead inside to the day you die an old, frail, insignificant man." The other Matthew's words came nonstop, his eyes widening with every word. "Do you understand yet, Matthew? Can you wrap your mind around the reality of this? You will _never _get rid of me, not now, not today, not ever, for as long as you live. Our coexistence is a necessary relationship, one that you nor I will _never _be able to sever. Doesn't that make you happy, Matthew? Doesn't that fill you with excitement?"

"No, it doesn't!" Matthew yelled. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, _SHUT UP!_" Matthew's teeth ground together as he wrapped his fingers around the other Matthew's throat in desperation. "You're not me. You can't be me. Stop wearing my face and acting like you know me! You're a filthy liar, and I hate you!"

The other Matthew appeared genuinely upset as he pouted, glumly. "Are you sure about that, Matthew?"

"Y-Yes!" The real Matthew stammered. "You can't be me. The only person who knows anything about the real me is myself! Me! You're… you're just an impostor!"

The other Matthew was silent for a moment, reflecting briefly on the real Matthew's words… and then a sinister smile stretched taut over his lips. "If that's the way you want it," The other Matthew muttered under his breath, "that's the way you're gonna' get it."

A blood-red aura erupted beneath the other Matthew's feet, enveloping his body in thick, misty swirls of red and black. Noah sensed that the invisible wall separating him from the two Matthews had shattered, but he was too stunned to stand up and go over to the real Matthew.

The aura throbbed ferociously, expanding and contracting as a swath of suffocating fog washed over the room. Matthew fell and scrambled away from the aura on his hands and feet, his back touching up against one of the walls of the classroom. Trembling, Noah got to his feet and stood there in terrified awe, watching the egg-shaped aura swirl like a small tornado. The beat of its pulse grew quicker and quicker with every passing moment.

Suddenly, there was a quick contraction and the red whirl froze in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, the aura violently exploded outward, shooting through Matthew and Noah with the force of a small tidal wave. Noah stood his ground as Matthew yelped, the windows above his head shattering into a flood of tiny, broken shards.

When the pulsing aura slowly disappeared and Noah could finally see what had happened to the other Matthew inside, he felt like he wanted to scream. Matthew took it upon himself to do just that, his voice rising above Noah's horror as the creature in the middle of the room turned to leer at him hungrily.

What stood there—mandibles twitching, eyes rolling, saliva dripping—was a colossal, hairy arachnid. Its abdomen was striped black and red and the main section of its body was coated in long strands of thick hair. What horrified Noah the most, however, was the arachnid's face. It wore the top half of Matthew's features: his hair, his eyes, his nose, and his ears. The bottom half of Matthew's face was absent; rather, the section where his mouth should have been had been replaced by a pair of glistening white fangs that twitched. The spider shifted its weight constantly, its eight legs tip tapping against the floor as it looked at Noah, and then at Matthew, indecisive in whom it wished to attack first.

Noah looked to Matthew. He was in a state of utter denial, his head wrapped up tight in his arms. He seemed to be muttering to himself incoherently. A thin sheen of sweat plastered his face and his skin was an unhealthy shade of white. Noah knew he had to do something to get himself and Matthew out of this situation, but he didn't know what. He had no weapons at his disposal and the arachnid wearing Matthew's face was enormous. In bare, hand-to-hand combat, he stood no chance against its fangs and its size.

_There has to be some other way. _Noah thought to himself, nervous but determined. There was one goal running through his head, and that was the safety of Matthew, alone. If worse came to worse, he would fight the arachnid head on, even if it came at the cost of his own life.

_Better me than him. _

Suddenly, the arachnid spoke. It had no mouth, but instinctively, Noah knew its words were directed at him. Its voice was hollow and muddled, but he could just barely make out what it said. "I am a shadow," The spider declared, "the true self." It reared up on its hind legs and let loose a terrible, high-pitched roar, not unlike the siren Noah had been hearing during his time here. Spittle and venom rained down upon the spider as it fell back down to the ground and bent its frontal appendages. Noah froze, as Matthew's eyebrows on the spider's face furrowed. Without another word, it charged, its speed much higher than Noah had been anticipating.

Noah rolled to the side as the arachnid threw the entirety of its weight into Noah's direction. Noah could feel loose strands of its hair whip past him as he just narrowly avoided its attack. The spider—unable to change its direction mid-air—screamed at him as it went sailing through the door Noah had gone through to get into the classroom. It took the door completely off of its hinges, creating a plume of dust and smoke as it tumbled gracelessly into the classroom opposite of the one Noah and Matthew were in. Noah took the opportunity to dash over to Matthew.

"Matthew!" Noah yelled as he skidded to a stop in front of his lifeless friend. Matthew had been completely still since the ordeal had started as there were still shards of glass in his hair. The words of the shadow had corroded his soul, turning him into a vacant husk. Noah grabbed Matthew by the shoulders and shook him forcefully. "Matthew, snap out of it! We have to leave, now!"

But Matthew did not respond. He sat there, covering his head, trying to paint everything that had happened as some kind of dream. Frustrated, Noah swore as he looked over his shoulder at the hole the spider had created. The dust had begun to settle, but thankfully, the spider had not reappeared.

In his heart, Noah knew he could not blame Matthew. Just a few moments ago, he had been the same way. In that moment, Noah knew he had to be strong in the face of impossible odds, both for himself and for Matthew. He bent down and threw Matthew's arms over his shoulders as he reached behind him, wrapping his arms around Matthew's legs and lifting him up in one go. Grunting from the effort, Noah jogged forward, going towards the hole. Noah could see the spider just getting to its feet as it wildly spun around, locking its sights onto Noah.

Noah dashed left, making his way down the length of the hallway. He could hear Matthew sobbing silently against him as the spider screamed, dashing through the hole and charging towards them. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"Shut up, Matthew!" Noah yelled, hoisting Matthew further up. He could feel him slipping against his back. "I'm getting the both of us out of here whether you like it or not, so shove it!"

The arachnid cried out behind them. "It's useless, Matthew! Surrender to me, now!"

"Get lost!" Noah shouted over his shoulder. By some miracle, he was running as if he were unburdened with the weight of another human being. Noah did not know how or why, as he was not physically above average compared to the average human male his age. But here he was, running for his life down a hallway while a giant monster snapped at his heels. The spider stopped, suddenly, while Noah kept charging forward.

He was approaching the end of the hallway split. At the end of the path to the left was the staircase to the first floor. Noah didn't know where he would go at that point, but he had to keep creating distance between him, Matthew, and the spider if they were going to have any chance at living through this. Noah looked behind him and he yelped in surprise at what he saw.

A smoldering fireball surged towards them, its flames illuminating the lockers as it rocketed down the hallway. Noah cried out as he jumped left. The fireball collided into the end of the hallway just behind him. He could feel the faint explosion flare up against the back of his head. Noah's heart smashed against his ribcage as he shut his eyes and broke into a sprint, Matthew bouncing up and down behind him.

_That thing can shoot fireballs out of its mouth? _Noah thought helplessly. With this knowledge in mind, he picked up the pace. Narrow corridors were a dangerous place to be now, and he needed to get to the first floor as quickly as possible. _I have to get to the cafeteria hall. _Noah thought. _It's the biggest room in the building and it'll give us the most room to maneuver in. _Noah reached the top of the staircase, his right foot on the second floor and his left foot on the stair step just below it. Quickly, he threw another glance over his shoulder.

Another fireball hurtled towards them at full speed. Panicked, Noah stepped backwards and he swore as his foot landed on thin air. He dropped Matthew and the two of them went plummeting head over heels down the staircase. Noah hit the wall of the middle portion of the staircase, and Matthew came rolling into him. The fireball, having just barely missed the two of them, smashed into the wall just above their heads.

Noah was in immense pain, but he knew he could not stop for a single moment. One second wasted here could mean the difference between life and death, and he had to press onward, regardless of his physical condition. He groaned as he hoisted Matthew back up onto his back and he headed down the next flight of stairs as the spider appeared at the top of the steps, its fangs glinting in the light. As Noah's feet hit the first floor, he could feel the tremors as the spider crashed into the place where he and Matthew had been just moments ago.

Noah did not stop to look back as he made a mad dash towards the double doors of the cafeteria. He skidded to a stop in front of it and then burst through using his shoulders. The cafeteria hall was as it had been when he had left it: flickering lights, upturned tables, endless volumes of kitchenware, and constantly shifting scenery. Noah breathed hard as he walked forward. The setting changed from a cafeteria hall to a church and he came to a stop in the middle, looking left and right for a suitable place to hide Matthew so he could deal with the spider without being encumbered.

Unfortunately for him and Matthew, it was too late.

The spider head butted through the double doors, completely destroying it in the process. Each half of the door frame splintered into hundreds of tiny, wooden pieces. It stood there, its eyes glinting hungrily, its abdomen bouncing, its fangs dripping with poison. Noah swore and slowly backed away, further and further towards the front of the cafeteria hall. His back was against the wall and there was nowhere else to go. He and Matthew were cornered. He knew this, as did the spider. To Noah's disgust, the spider seemed to smile as it took its time coming closer.

"I admire your resolve, Noah, I really do." The spider commended, its fangs clicking together. "But the fact of the matter is neither you nor your friend is getting out of here alive."

"What do you know?" Noah shouted as his back hit a solid object. He looked behind him and saw the podium of the church. The light switched off, then back on, and he stumbled backwards as it disappeared. Matthew tumbled from him grasp and Noah's body hit the floor hard. Noah held his throbbing head in pain as the spider cackled, its eyes rolling into the back of its head.

"This is all because of you, Noah." The spider inched ever closer. "All of it."

Noah ignored what the spider had to say as he reached out to Matthew who lay on the ground, motionless. _Did he lose consciousness? _Noah thought worriedly.

"Matthew!" Noah called out. "Matthew, please, if you're awake, answer me!"

But Matthew did not respond. His dark hair covered his eyes and his lips were still. The spider clicked its fangs together disapprovingly. "Take a page out of Matthew's book." It said darkly. "He has given up the rights to his life. I suggest you do the same."

"In your dreams!" Noah shouted defiantly. "You aren't laying so much as a _finger _on him as long as I'm around. I'll kill you before that happens!"

Enraged, the spider roared animally. Then, it charged.

Noah shut his eyes as he shielded Matthew's body.

Over the ghostly currents of his consciousness, Noah heard a voice call out to him. He gripped his head as the piercing headache he had felt earlier in Matthew's home came screaming back to him. His eyes clenched tightly as the voice rose in volume, growing louder and louder until its message became lucid—striking in its clarity and boldness.

_Arise, Noah Scofield, and realize your true potential! _

**! ! !**

Gradually, Noah's eyes opened.

To his surprise, he found himself hovering above a dark, swirling ocean. The sky was murky and shrouds of white, ice-like clouds streaked across the inky blackness. A full moon hung high above, nestled in the bosom of a sea of luminous stars. By some miracle, was no longer at the school. There was no spider, no Matthew, just him and his thoughts and the ocean currents pushing and pulling below him. Out of the darkness, a single blue point of light appeared. Noah watched as it descended from above, and at a distance, he could just barely make out its form.

A single tarot card.

It spun lazily as it descended from the heavens, slowing in speed once it came within Noah's reach. He held out both of his hands and watched, spellbound, as the card came to a stop on one of its pointed edges. It spun round and round, over and over. One side of the card was blank, and the other depicted an oxymoronic mask with one half shaded white and the other half shaded dark blue. From within himself, Noah could feel a growing swell of power pulsing and beating, not unlike the menacing aura of Matthew's other self. This power, however, felt warm and comforting. This power felt nourishing, wholesome.

A ring of fire appeared at the edges of Noah's feet as he began to understand. Small flames stoked by the intensity of his will danced around his heels. The word appeared on his tongue without thinking, as if it were built into his soul from the very beginning of his existence. Noah licked his dry lips and uttered the word, syllable +by syllable, each carrying the weight of a thousand.

"Per… so… na!"

Noah's hands crushed the tarot card and it shattered into an array of tiny, blue shards of light. The power Noah had felt inside of him exploded outwards, and the ring of fire at his feet erupted. Noah found himself flanked on all sides by a torrent of orange flames. To his surprise, he was not singed by their heat. On the contrary, they felt warm and cool, natural and innate. His clothes whipped and thrashed about his body as an otherworldly gust of wind blew all around him. Noah heard the voice reach out to him again over the currents of his consciousness. It surrounded him, it came from within him. It was everywhere and nowhere all at once.

_Thou art I, and I am thou  
From the sea of thy soul I come forth  
I am Odin, King of the Gods!_

The voice spoke with peerless confidence. Imbued with a growing sense of power, Noah took a deep breath and shut his eyes, and then opened them.

**! ! !**

He was back at the alternating cafeteria hall, but the mood was considerably different compared to before. The spider stood at a distance, its appendages twitching in trepidation. Even Matthew had arisen from his slumber, and he was staring at Noah, mouth ajar in disbelief.

A lone figure descended from the ceiling of the room, dressed in a swath of luminous, white robes. His skin was pale, yet it glowed with unparalleled vibrancy. A golden helmet sat atop of his head, a tiny pair of wings protruding from the left and right sides. There was a metal patch covering his left eye, and he wielded a long, sharp, golden spear. Noah watched it slow to a stop before him, and he could sense that this was Odin, the origin of the power he had felt inside of him and the owner of the voice constantly reaching out to him.

Noah smiled thinly. The tables had turned.

And he had the upper hand.

Sensing this change, the spider growled ominously. "You think this changes anything?" It spider bellowed. "This changes _nothing_!" It charged towards them blindly, its legs smashing into the floorboards with every step.

"Odin!" Noah roared. Noah's Persona materialized out of thin air and he swung his spear in a wide arc in front of him. The spider screamed in pain as it was sent hurtling backwards into the wall at the far end of the room. The lights flickered on and off as it flew. One moment it sent pots and trays scattering across the hall and the next, it was destroying a series of wooden church pews with its immense body. Thick clouds of dust sprung up from the ground as the spider's body broke through the wall.

"Don't let up!" Noah cried, summoning the tarot card and crushing it like he did before. Odin charged forward and sunk his spear into the abdomen of the spider. Odin's weapon dug deep past the spider's body, pinning it against the cold metal of a set of lockers behind it. Thick spurts of black blood jettisoned outwards from the wound Odin had created, covering him in an inky mess. Odin jerked his spear back as the spider's legs violently thrashed to and fro.

The spider slowly got to its feet as Odin recovered from the onslaught. It stood there as a line of thick, gooey black blood dripped from its gaping wound. Suddenly, it leapt forward, sinking its fangs into Odin's neck. Noah's persona recoiled, holding his wound in his hand. Out of alarm, Noah stepped forward, and then it hit him.

Pain. Searing pain, burning in his neck. Noah gasped as he clutched the area on Odin's neck where he had been bitten. He could feel the poison working its way into his system, spreading like a wildfire into his internal organs. Noah coughed, and tiny droplets of blood sprinkled onto the floor. The spider aimed to get another bite in, but Noah stopped it dead in its tracks as he shattered the card again with his hand. He winced in pain, but steeled through it as Odin slammed the butt of his spear into the spider's jaw. The spider lurched backwards, its features distorted as thick globs of saliva spilled from its mouth. One of its fangs hung loose and one of its eyes was black.

"Stay down!" Noah snarled. He willed the tarot card to appear once more as the spider struggled to recover from Odin's attack, its legs scrabbling against the wooden floor. The tarot card appeared within his palm and he felt it burn warmly in his hand. Noah shut his eyes as his fingers dove inwards, crushing the card from all sides.

A piercing bolt of thunder struck down from above, violently wracking the spider's body with an excruciating current of electricity. Noah could hear the spider scream as he focused all of his energy into this one, final attack. The electric thunder bolt expanded and contracted, enveloping every fiber of the spider's being with endless amounts of painful, crackling energy. Noah watched the spider convulse through the yellow light, its body quivering with agonizing pain. Noah kept the pressure on it for several seconds until, finally, he let up the attack.

Spent from the exertion, Noah fell to one knee and stared at the crumpled spider under lidded eyes. His breaths came harsh and heavy as he struggled to maintain the presence of his Persona. His body ached in ways he didn't think was possible, but he couldn't let up. Not until this was all over. Not until he was absolutely certain he and Matthew were safe.

The spider lay still. After a time, its body began to disintegrate into a smoky, translucent gray powder. As the spider gradually disappeared, the poison wreaking havoc on Noah's internal system did as well. The length of its corpse continued to deteriorate until all that remained was Matthew's shadow. Noah watched his chest rise and fall, every breath causing him unbearable amounts of pain. He watched as Matthew's shadow struggled to his feet, his body broken and bruised from their fight. Noah bared his teeth and held his hand out, prepared for any other tricks Matthew's shadow had up his sleeve.

Suddenly, Noah felt a hand befall his shoulder. He turned his head and came face to face with a determined looking Matthew. Matthew gave him a warm, grateful smile as he gently pushed Noah out of the way and faced his shadow.

"You've done more than enough, Noah." Matthew muttered as he stared at his other self. "It's my turn."

Noah looked at him worriedly, but he figured he should let Matthew sort it out from here. It was difficult for him to stand, let alone deal with the shadow for a second time. Matthew calmly walked forward and he came to a stop in front of his shadow. His shadow just stared at Matthew blankly. No words came out of his mouth and his face was devoid of any trace of emotion. Matthew sighed warily.

"I know what you want." Matthew said. His voice was surprisingly tender for someone who had almost died at the hands of his inner self. Noah was impressed that he had managed to maintain his composure in the face of such overwhelming malevolence. "You wanted me to acknowledge you, right? You wanted me to stop hiding you away?"

Matthew's shadow was silent. Matthew smiled and nodded his head knowingly. "You were right, you know, about everything." He laughed bitterly. "It stings to admit that, but I can't deny it anymore. Not after everything that's already happened. I don't know why it took you trying to kill me for me to understand, but I finally get it. I know I'm alone a lot, and I know that I don't have a lot of confidence. You just wanted what was best for me all along, didn't you? You wanted me to get over myself and get out there, see the world, right?"

It was subtle, but a thin strip of tears began to collect at the bottom of the other Matthew's eyes.

"I'm always worried that everyone's disappointed in me." Matthew continued, resignedly. "Every day I'm wondering if Robin's going to stop talking to me because I don't open up to her enough. I know now that that was never the issue to begin with." Matthew sighed. "The real problem is that I'm always disappointed in myself. If I don't change that, I'll never become a better person. I need to show Robin that I care, that I want to change. She deserves it."

Matthew's feet shifted as he bit his lip uncomfortably. "I know I was… I know I was jealous of Noah's natural charisma," Matthew admitted as he glanced at Noah sideways, "and I hated that he was able to get along with Robin so well when it was so difficult for me. Everything you said hurt so much because it was true. I didn't want to accept that I could have hated someone so much so easily. I was weak, and he was strong. I wished I could be like that. I wished I could be like _him_." Gingerly, Matthew placed a hand on his shadow's shoulder.

"You're always going to be there. Even if I accept you, that's not going to change. I'll always have self-doubts and I don't think I'll ever be completely happy with who I am." A determined grin crossed Matthew's lips. "But that doesn't mean I have to let it control me. Ultimately, I'm the master of my own will, my own persona. I know I'm not going to change in a day. It's not that easy." Matthew turned his head and smiled at Noah gratefully. "But I know, now, that I'm not alone. I should have realized that sooner. I could have avoided this whole mess. Good friends like Noah and Robin are once in a lifetime, and I'm disgusted I took them for granted… so I won't. Not anymore. It's not too late to change that. Is it, me?"

Matthew's shadow just barely shook his head.

"You're me, and I'm you, right?"

Finally, Matthew's shadow smiled. In stark contrast to all the others, this one was genuine. Noah breathed a sigh of relief as Matthew's shadow shut its eyes and disappeared. In the air above Matthew, Noah could spot an ethereal figure hovering in place. Its arms were folded confidently and its eyes were focused on Matthew. It was dressed in a silky, gray cloak and its hair was long and silver. A long chain ran along the length of its arms and legs and there was a metal staff hanging at its waist. Its face was cold and stony, but it was also strong and formidable. Matthew looked up at the figure and whispered the word Noah had said just moments ago.

"You're Balder… my Persona." The figure nodded at him, and then disappeared. A tarot card materialized in its place. Matthew watched as the card came to a stop in front of him, waiting for him to accept its power. Warily, Matthew held out his arms and surrounded the card in his hands. The card melted into Matthew, and for a moment, his body was outlined in a blue, glowing light.

Noah started to go over to Matthew, but he winced as pain shot throughout the length of his body, and he fell to his knees. He held his abdomen in his arms. Matthew turned around and quickly came over, his eyes filled with concern. Matthew dropped to one knee and placed his hands on Noah's shoulder. Noah could feel his consciousness slipping away from him and he was finding it difficult to concentrate on what was happening.

"Noah!" Matthew said, shaking him. "Noah, can you hear me?"

"Are you… okay?" Noah asked. His voice was weak.

"Don't worry about me." Matthew said as he shook his head. "You look terrible. We need to get you out of here."

"I'm glad you're alright." Noah said, deflecting Matthew's words. His eyelids fluttered and he could barely process what Matthew was saying to him. Noah could see his lips moving, but none of his words were reaching his ears. Noah raised his hand, rays of light shining through the gaps in his fingers. "Your Persona looks pretty cool."

Matthew laughed and shrugged. "I think yours looks a little cooler. But that's not important right now." Matthew slipped Noah's arms over his shoulders and wrapped his arms around Noah's legs, mimicking what Noah had done for him earlier. "I'm getting you out of here."

Noah could feel Matthew quiver as he struggled to lift him up. It was evident that facing his shadow—as well as this world—had taken its toll on him as well. Had Noah been able to refuse Matthew's offer, he would have done so in a heartbeat. As it stood, he barely had the energy left to stand on his own two legs.

Noah breathed easily as Matthew started out of the cafeteria hall. As his vision darkened, he just barely caught a glimpse of the walls of Glasswater High School slowly peeling away. The world around them deconstructed itself before their very eyes. Wallpapers rolled up and past the ceiling. The cables holding up the light fixtures in the ceiling snapped and as the lights fell, they disappeared before hitting the ground. The wooden floorboards shifted beneath Matthew's feet like one giant, checkered tile board, throwing him off balance. Matthew held on to Noah tight as the world around them buckled beneath the strain of some invisible force, like a dream collapsing onto itself.

Noah would never see the aftermath.

Unable to ignore the aching pain working its way through his body, Noah surrendered himself to the encroaching darkness. His head hit the nape of Matthew's neck and he quickly fell into a deep, relieved sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: **If it isn't obvious by now, I'm pretty much throwing all the rules pertaining to Persona Arcana and level thresholds straight out the window. Seeing as the running theme of the team's Personas are based off of Norse mythology, I gave characters their Personas based off of whichever God or Goddess they had the most similarities to, rather than some random demon in line with their Arcana. I hope you can overlook these changes as I didn't want to just go back and reuse mainstay Personas like Izanagi or Orpheus. I felt that having a new theme would be a lot cooler than just reusing a theme from the older games. I'm fairly certain a few of the team's Personas haven't even been in any of the Persona games, so there's that to look forward to! Anyway, thanks for understanding (I hope), and as always, I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

On a slightly smaller note, I'd like to thank Neomycin again! This time it's for reminding me about Aunt Catherine's social link which I neglected to roll over last chapter. Yikes! I was thinking so much about all of the high school students that hers sailed under the radar completely unnoticed. I've taken the liberty of adding hers in with all the others. If anyone else catches mistakes like this—story or grammatical-wise—don't hesitate to call me out on it.

**Social Links:**

_Fool (The Team): 1  
Magician (Matthew): 1 + 1 = 2  
Justice (Robin): 1  
Tower (Seth): 1  
Temperance (Aunt Catherine + ?): 1_


	7. Chapter 7, Give and Take

Chapter 7 – Give and Take

_August 21__st__, 2012_

Soothing, choral hymns and melancholic melodies aroused Noah from his slumber. Noah's eyes slowly opened and he was welcomed by a swath of warm, sparkling, turquoise light. He blinked and discovered that he was resting on his side on a comfortable, cushiony velveteen couch. His fingers traced along the silky edges as he gripped the seat and pushed himself up into a sitting position. The ocean currents and buoyant sea life swirled and twisted about the tubular room he was in, playing out like some kind of lighthearted underwater-themed desktop screensaver. In the distance, an orca whale hummed and sang, its harmonic reverberations reaching his ears through the chaos of the ocean. It didn't take very long for Noah to realize where he was.

The Velvet Room.

Across the circular, mahogany table, Igor and his assistant Faith patiently waited as Noah acquired a hold on his bearings. Noah looked at them through weary eyes, but he noted that Faith's expression towards him was slightly less frosty than it had been the last time he had been in the Velvet Room. Igor, too, regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and fascination. Noah rested his forehead on the table, a jaded sigh eking from his lips. He acknowledged that this was a much better turn of events compared to giant, grotesque arachnids trying to murder him in cold blood, but all he really wanted to do by that point was sleep.

"Is there a reason you called me here?" Noah asked.

"There is." Faith replied. "However, we do not wish to rush you. By all means, please take your time. We are aware of the ordeal you have recently overcome."

Confusion overtook exhaustion as Noah mulled over Faith's words. "You are?" Noah said, looking up. "Why didn't you do anything?"

"What you have done is out of our jurisdiction." Faith stated candidly. "Do you really believe we would have left you to your own devices had we the means to aid you?"

"Well… yeah, actually." Noah admitted. "I figured that could have been your messed up idea of indoctrinating someone, you know?"

Faith's tranquil disposition sizzled as her golden eyes narrowed in irritation. "Your inability to think rationally is beyond comprehension. You have much to learn."

_What the hell? _Noah thought, seething with what he felt to be justified anger. _The nerve of this girl!_ _What does she know? She doesn't know what it was like. She doesn't know what Matthew and I went through. _Noah was on the verge of giving Faith a piece of his mind before Igor interrupted their quarrel.

"You have been summoned to the Velvet Room for a particular reason." There was a patient smile on his lips. "Let us not forget it over needless disputes, shall we?" Igor gave Faith a look that looked very much like a father telling his daughter he had taught her better. Regretfully, Faith shrank into her seat and offered Noah a curt nod.

"I apologize. My primary purpose is to serve, not to hinder. I will try to watch my tongue."

Noah sighed and waved her apology off. "No, I should be the one apologizing. I'm very tired, and it feels like I haven't slept right in days. I'm sorry."

Faith tilted her head and studied him intently. She remained silent, her blank expression betraying none of what she might have been thinking. Igor simply laughed punctually and continued from where he had left off. "Now then," His voice was full of joy and candor as per usual, "Welcome to the Velvet Room. It appears you have managed to awaken a formidable, dormant power residing within the boundaries of your soul."

"You mean my Persona?" Noah wagered tentatively.

"Correct." Igor interlaced his fingers beneath the bridge of his enormous nostril, his unblinking, bloodshot eyes staring into Noah's. "Your 'Persona' is a manifestation of your inner psyche. It is both a physical and spiritual representation of your core being."

There was a stack of tarot cards sitting in the middle of the table. With a lazy wave of his hand, the deck levitated and reshuffled in mid-air before Igor snapped his fingers. A single card jutted out from the median of the deck, and it softly slipped out, coming to a rest in front of Noah. Noah studied the card. On its face, there stood a black figure shouldering a knapsack, like some kind of rogue vagabond silhouetted against the twilight of the morning sky. Behind it a small dog followed in step. Noah glanced back up at Igor, his brows knitted together in confusion.

Igor smiled knowingly, and he continued. "Imagine, if you will, the number 0. At once, it represents both everything and nothing. It is a number which holds infinite possibilities. By extension, its potential for growth is nigh on limitless. At this juncture, I'd like to point out that your power, specifically, is one that is quite different from the many of the others."

"What do you mean?" Noah asked.

"You hold within yourself the power of the 'Wild Card'." Igor answered. "In time, you will come to realize for yourself what that symbolizes. For the time being, however, it would be prudent of you to focus on developing your potential through the power of bonds." Igor shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. Faith picked up from where he had left off, her tone of voice thoroughly businesslike.

"By developing your relationships with those around you, you will, in turn, develop the strength of your Social Links. As a consequence—or perhaps more accurately, benefit—of doing so, the power of your 'Persona' will rise accordingly. Keep this knowledge in mind as you venture forward into the future, as uncertain as it might be. Further trials and tribulations await you in the coming months, Noah Scofield. Your journey is far from over."

To his surprise, Noah had understood relatively all of what Igor and Faith had told him. The more time he spent in this realm, the more he grew accustomed to the rules governing its existence. Noah nodded in answer to Faith's counsels. The Velvet Room assistant nodded in turn, a small smile gracing her stubborn lips.

"Before you leave," Igor said, "take this with you."

An incandescent blue light materialized into a small, silver key on the table in front of Noah. He noticed that the dual mask that had been on the back of the tarot cards was also the design prominent on the handle of the key. Not entirely sure what purpose the key would serve, Noah looked up at Igor for clarification.

"This will allow you to visit this realm of your own accord." Igor explained. "I advise you to keep it on your person at all times henceforth. I imagine you will be making several trips to our world as time marches onwards. Do not be shy, you are our guest and as such you are always welcome here. So go on, take it."

"I don't remember this room having a keyhole." Noah said.

"Does such a device need to exist in order for you to enter into our domain?" Igor questioned obtusely. "Perhaps entrance here requires something much greater than that."

Noah gingerly took the key from the table, pocketing it carefully into his jeans. He couldn't say he was a very big fan of Igor's baffling ramblings, but he was grateful that they were here to help him, even if he never quite understood everything they told him. Thankfully, Noah understood the gist of today's visit. If he was uncertain about his feelings before, they were certainly solidified now, he knew he could not abandon his allies and his friends by the wayside. Absolutely no exceptions could be made. Even shady characters such as Nathaniel could not slip through the cracks. Noah had to give everyone a fair chance, and that included people he wasn't sure he could ever totally trust or even like. Determined, but still unsure, Noah made it up in his mind to always protect his friends regardless of the consequences he might face in doing so. They could turn out to be the most important facets of his day to day life from this point forwards. He had to be smart about things.

Noah's thoughts drifted to Faith, and a matter of mild importance occurred to him.

"Faith?" Noah prompted.

"How may I help you?" Igor's assistant answered.

"Can you leave the Velvet Room?"

Puzzled, Faith frowned before her eyes widened in realization. Catching herself, she shook her head dismissively. "Such a proposition is not unheard of," Faith said casually, "but I am ignorant as to why you wish to know. Would you care to enlighten me?"

Noah bit his lip quietly. Things were starting to get awkward. In truth, he would have propositioned to show Faith around Glasswater in order to get her to lighten up and perhaps open up to him a little more, but on account he realized that he himself knew very little about the town to begin with. He was in no position to go around hamstringing some poor soul along on his woefully misguided tour around a town he was barely familiar with, and someone such as Faith would no doubt be a harsh critic unto his inadequacies. Put succinctly, now was not a good time.

"Never mind." Noah waved, wishing to drop the subject. "Maybe some other time."

"Very well then." Faith said.

"Then without further ado," Igor finished, "until we meet again…" A dreamlike haze of soft, creamy white light surrounded Noah's body as fatigue began to take hold of his consciousness. Willingly, Noah let himself be taken away into a deep, uninterrupted, sleep.

**! ! !**

"Definitely a secret." Matthew said, quickly.

On their way to Glasswater High School, Noah and Matthew walked side by side as they headed towards the crosswalk where Robin was waiting. They hadn't said much when they had woken up, and breakfast had consisted of cereal and not much else. The two teenagers found it difficult to find the words to describe what had happened after their ordeal at the alternate Glasswater school, and they weren't very keen on discussing the matter with each other, let alone Robin. Noah had broken the silence a little earlier, blurting out whether they should keep what had happened between them or between them and Robin. Matthew had shouted out his answer so quickly as to suggest it had been a reflexive thought. Noah could not blame him.

"Alright." Noah agreed.

The two kept walking together under the weight of heavy-handed silence. This time, however, it was not because of their unfamiliarity with each other. In fact, it was very much so the opposite. If anything, the uncomfortable silence growing like an untamed stigma between them was because Noah knew _too _much about Matthew. Noah had been able to guess some of Matthew's personal problems by his own deductions, but to have them so shamelessly pushed into the limelight made things between them indescribably awkward.

"Matthew, about last night…"

"What about it?"

"After I… after I dealt with your Shadow, what happened? How did we get back?"

Matthew looked troubled as he stared at Noah blankly. He tossed an aimless glance down the road and blinked, slowly. "I'm having trouble piecing it together, but if I had to describe it in one word, it'd be weird." His lips parted and closed at irregular intervals, as if he were trying to solve a difficult math problem in his head. "The walls, the floors, the ceiling… everything just started deteriorating like someone just splashed a bunch of acid all over the place. But it was unnatural. Even the part I was standing on was gone. For a little while, we were just floating in the middle of this endless nexus of space. It was wild, dude."

"But how did we return from all of that?" Noah pressed.

A frown appeared on Matthew's face and his forehead creased. "That's just the thing," He said. "My room just reconstructed itself piece by piece until we were back. It was like reverse deconstruction. I keep going over what happened again and again in my head but it just makes less and less sense every time. That couldn't have been some dream, we both experienced it detail by painstaking detail, and besides, it felt way too real." Matthew pressed a tight, balled-up fist to his temples. "It was like nothing ever happened."

"I'm guessing you didn't sustain any injuries to suggest otherwise?" Noah said, feeling the aches in his body beginning to make a comeback.

"Oh, I've got plenty of bruises," Matthew laughed, "but that doesn't prove we went anywhere abnormal."

"That's true." Noah conceded, rubbing his chin with his thumb and index finger. "Now that I look back on it, my cell phone was stuck at 12:00 AM for the longest time. I don't think time moves the same way it does in that world compared to this one."

"Dude, I don't even know where to begin with any of that. Whatever the case might be," Matthew said, "we definitely can't tell Robin. I don't want her to get mixed up with any of that stuff. I don't know how or why it happened, but I could never forgive myself if she got caught up in that shit. The less she knows about it, the better."

"I'm with you." Noah nodded. "This is our problem. I'd prefer it if no one else got involved."

Noah smiled at Matthew encouragingly. Matthew tried his best to return it with one of his own. Noah thought it looked a little odd, but he knew that Matthew wasn't used to smiling. He didn't have to be told that straight out to know that. As long as he kept on backing Matthew up when he needed it most, he was confident he would mature into a person who would no longer need to rely on anyone.

At the same time, Noah could not help but dread the future. He wished dearly for Matthew's wishes to not involve anyone else in this ordeal to stay true, but he knew how unlikely that would end up being if Igor and Faith's predictions in the Velvet Room were to be trusted, and he knew that they would not lie to him. If anything, Noah had to keep ever-vigilant around Robin even more than before, because deep down he knew she was in grave danger. If he and Matthew were not careful, someone could end up losing their life in the other world.

Noah's blue gray eyes flashed hot white as he ground his teeth together in anger.

_Not if I have anything to say about it. _

**! ! !**

"What's your secret?" A pair of friendly, golden eyes glittered faintly with curiosity. "How do you do it, Noah?"

Noah looked up from his sandwich, his mouth full of chewed up bits of bread, ham, lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes. He swallowed, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and cocked his head at the figure sitting next to him.

"What do you mean?"

"You talk to Matthew like it's nothing!" Seth said, puffing out a breath of hot air. "You don't even know how many times I've tried to talk to him, only for it to end up backfiring on me. And here you come along and suddenly, out of nowhere, you're already best buddies. You have to tell me what you're doing."

"Maybe you're just going about it the wrong way." Noah offered, untwisting the cap to a bottle of water resting on the bench next to him.

It was lunchtime and Noah and Seth had retired to Glasswater's football field in order to eat. Robin was serving detention time in Mr. Schrodinger's classroom for laughing out loud in the middle of class because she had been watching videos on her phone. Matthew had stayed behind in one of his classes in order to get help on studies he was having trouble with. Noah had tiny suspicions that Matthew still felt uncomfortable about the ordeal they had faced, but he was in no position to make any judgment calls. He let the matter be, and he knew that he had Seth to talk to in the meantime.

True to his reputation, Seth was a remarkably easy person to talk to. He was always bursting with energy and ideas and he never missed a single beat, keeping the flow of conversation healthy and alive. Seth was not quick to judge and he always wore a warm, welcoming smile. Indeed, Noah did not know why Seth was having so much trouble becoming a better friend of Matthew's.

"Easy for you to say." Seth grumbled, resting his chin on his knuckles.

The football field was ablaze with activity. Lean, rugged, well-built teenagers charged up and down the white-striped green grass, tossing a red ball amongst themselves. They tackled each other to the ground and laughed the pain away as they played for fun, rather than for competition. Noah winced as he watched them. Watching them slam into each other without restraint caused him to remember the aching coursing throughout his limbs.

There were other students sitting around on the bleachers, much like he and Seth were. Noah leaned back and carefully rested his head against the bench above his. He looked up into the blue, fertile skies and smiled, relaxed.

"Seth!"

Noah looked down as a student jogged towards them, coming away from the football game still going on. Noah recognized his short, clean-cut chestnut hair and his turquoise eyes. The young man wore a dark blue sports t-shirt that gleamed with ounces of sweat and mud. The student's basketball shorts were similarly tarnished. The make of its black fabric was just barely visible beneath the accumulation of grass and dirt.

Noah remembered this was Griffith. He was alone as he came to a stop at the foot of the bleachers, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"What's on your mind, Griffith?" Seth called from above.

"You want to play?" Griffith asked once he had caught his breath. Noah looked at the football squeezed beneath the curve of the athlete's arm. Griffith took it from under himself and reared his arm back, tossing the ball in a clean arc towards Seth. Seth stood up and easily caught the ball in mid-air. The gentle giant chuckled and bounced it from one hand to the other, studying Noah out of the corner of his eyes.

"That depends." Seth said, the latter half of his sentence trailing off mischievously. "What do you say, Noah?"

Noah turned around in his seat, his half-eaten sandwich still in his hand. Seth smirked, indicating the ball in his hands with his lips. "You up for a game with the big kids?"

"Teams are already even." Griffith added with his hands cupped around his mouth. "You should join us, Noah. We'll go easy on you!"

The pit of Noah's stomach bubbled as he swallowed nervously. Noah was absolutely terrible at sports. He had, at no point and time in his life, ever been moderately okay at any kind of sport. He simply wasn't made for it. Football, especially, ranked among the sports he was the worst at. His throwing arm was pathetic and he fumbled the ball every single time it came anywhere near him. On top of that, his body was still weak from last night's ventures into the alternate Glasswater High School. As it stood, he was already on the verge of collapse.

Noah looked at Seth, then at Griffith, his expression uneasy.

"Sounds like fun."

**! ! !**

Lunch had ended, but Noah was dead in the water. He lay on the ground motionless, while Seth and Griffith stood over his body, the two seniors watching him uncertainly. Griffith scratched his hair in confusion while Seth's hands were at his hips, his head shaking left and right in lighthearted disappointment. Most of the other players had already departed to class, and Seth and Griffith had chosen to stay behind to wait until Noah recovered from the physical—and perhaps, more importantly prideful—abuse. Seth bent down and prodded Noah's corpse with his finger.

"You okay, Noah? You can get up. Most of the other guys have left."

Noah mumbled incoherently, his words muffled by the moist foliage.

"Y'know, I've seen some really bad players in my days," Griffith spoke, "but I think this one takes the cake. You're a special kind of awful, Noah. I don't know if I should commend you or laugh at you. Maybe both?"

"Watch it." Seth growled, giving Griffith a warning glare. Griffith raised his hands reproachfully and bent down alongside Seth, chuckling to himself

"You've got spirit, though," Griffith admitted, "I'll give you that much. What you lack in physical strength you more than make up for in heart. You've got a fire in you. In my book, that's just as important as being a good team player. Ain't that right, Seth?"

An audible moan rose up from the grass. Seth laughed and delicately patted Noah on the back. "Don't you worry, Noah. No one's going to make fun of you… too much, anyway."

Suddenly, a voice called out over the distance.

"Griffith!"

Seth and Griffith's heads turned as a blonde student drew close to them, her right hand shielding her razor-sharp blue eyes from the sun. The girl wore an olive green cardigan that stretched down to her thighs, and beneath it was a long, bright, yellow shirt. Her upper outfit was complimented by a pair of beige shorts that cut off halfway between her knees and her torso. Her golden hair swayed in the sunlight as she got closer and closer to the trio of students in the middle of the field.

"I should have known you'd be out here goofing around on the football field with Seth." Her eyes wandered down to Noah's still form lying face down on the field. She processed the scene as logically as she could, with Seth and Griffith standing over him and Noah all beat and bruised. The girl's mental faculties clicked in place and she gasped, shooting daggers into Seth and Griffith. "Did you… did you beat this guy up? What the hell is the matter with you!?"

"What? Now hold on—" Seth began, but to no avail.

"And you!" The blonde girl scolded, striking Seth's pleas down with righteous anger. "How dare you! I thought you were the one who _defended _the defenseless, not beat them down when no one's looking. Just because you have the muscle to do it doesn't mean you should. You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Maybe when you're picking up pieces of trash by the freeway then you'll realize—"

"Lucia!" Griffith interjected, his voice stunting the flames of her fury. "Calm down and listen! Goddamn, that's just like you! Always jumping to conclusions!"

Seth reached out and tousled Noah's hair. "Poor guy couldn't hack it during a friendly game of football, that's all. No bullying going on here. Frankly, Lucia, I'm offended you would even think us capable of such a feat." He grinned dimly. "We're pretty affable fellows."

Lucia folded her arms and sucked in her lips in, her face going mildly pink. Rather than own up to her mistakes, she stared harder at Noah's backside and frowned. "That's the Junior that just moved here, right? Boa? Loa? You were talking to him yesterday, weren't you Seth?"

"It's Noah." Seth corrected. "And yeah, I was. We're all good friends now, though. As long as Noah doesn't hate us for being too rough with him, at least."

Lucia narrowed her eyes and stared at Seth disapprovingly. "You may not have beaten him up, but you make it hard to believe otherwise."

"Bah, he's fine. Noah's a lot tougher than he looks." Seth picked up one of Noah's limp arms and used it to wave at Lucia. "See that? Cool as a cucumber!"

Lucia cringed, but she could not conceal an amused smirk. "That's gross, Seth. Anyway, don't you think you should take him to the nurse or something? He doesn't look so good."

"Nah," Griffith said. "Noah's just being melodramatic. C'mon bro', the jig is up."

Red in the face, Noah lifted his head ever so slightly, his eyes peeking out from between sharp blades of grass. "Are you sure everyone's gone?"

"Positive." Griffith affirmed. He gestured at Lucia with his thumb. "Lucia's here too."

The blonde student gave a small wave. Noah groaned and gripped the wet earth below him, easing himself up into a kneeling position as he wiped the sweat caked on his brow. Unsteadily, Noah got to his feet and wiped off the green stains collecting around the knees and ankles of his pants. When the most offending stains were gone, Noah looked up and grinned sheepishly at the three senior students who watched him intently.

"These guys didn't hurt you, did they?" Lucia said straightforwardly. Seth and Griffith both gave her pained looks, but Noah laughed and clutched his abdomen in pain.

"Nothing I didn't sign up for." He answered.

"Doesn't really answer my question, but I guess that's better than nothing." She replied, her suspicious tone of voice still not completely gone. "If you're one hundred percent sure you're feeling okay, then you should head to class. Just so you know, the teachers here won't go easy on you just because you're new here. If anything, that only means their expectations for you are higher than the rest."

Griffith came up from behind her and snaked an arm around her shoulder. "Geez-Louise, give the guy a break Lucia! I swear, you can be so cold sometimes." He playfully poked her cheek with his index finger, a sardonic smile stretched across his lips. "You're just a big 'ol softie inside, aren't you?"

Annoyed, Lucia tried to wriggle her way out of his grip. "It's for his own good!" She insisted, her fingers struggling to pry Griffith's muscled arm from around her neck. "You understand, right Noah?" She could barely get him to budge an inch, even as she delicately bit down on his arm with her teeth.

For a reason unbeknownst to Noah, Seth smiled sadly. His eyes were unfocused, as if he were seeing something other than what was going on in front of him. He placed a heavy hand on Noah's shoulder and turned him towards the classroom buildings. Noah looked up at Seth who began to walk away.

"We should get going." He said, looking at Noah over his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll vouch for your tardiness."

Noah frowned and glanced at Griffith who, currently, was kneading his knuckles into Lucia's blonde hair. "But what about you? You'll get in trouble too."

Seth shrugged and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "I'm a senior. Once you're here, people stop caring so much. We get away with a lot more than you'd think. Besides, I know practically everyone in this school. My word will mean a little bit."

"…If you say so." Noah said, doubtfully.

**! ! !**

"Football?" Robin wondered out loud. "Is that what you spent lunch doin'?"

Noah zipped his bag shut and flung it over his shoulder as he walked alongside Robin and Matthew. "Yeah, I played a short game with Seth, Griffith, and a couple others." He sighed dejectedly. "I didn't do very well."

Robin snickered and promptly shut herself up by cramming several of her fingers into her mouth. "Sorry," She apologized, "Ya' just never struck me as the athletic type."

"Believe me," Noah smiled bitterly, "I learned that the hard way. Lucia was there too, now that I look back on it."

"Oh?" Robin's eyebrows arced suggestively. "The princess of Glasswater herself watched you eat dirt on the battlegrounds of glory?"

Out of nowhere, Matthew laughed, his amusement causing him to crush the box of apple juice clutched in his hand. The contents spilled out onto the sidewalk and he stopped for a moment, examining his failure with trepidation. He directed his attention at Robin as his lips curled into a playful smirk. "See what giving people dumb nicknames leads to?" He indicated the faint droplets with the tip of his foot. "Dumb things happen."

"Bite me." Robin mumbled under her breath before she tipped her nose towards Noah. "Anyways, you got time to hang out with us today or are you headin' straight home?"

Noah paused. If he asked nicely, Catherine most likely wouldn't be too opposed to the idea of him spending a little more time after school with his friends. Regardless, he didn't want to worry her any more than he probably already had.

"I think so." Noah nodded. "My aunt's probably worried sick."

_And besides, _Noah thought, _I shouldn't leave her alone with whomever that guy she's living with any more than I have to. It's bad enough that I opted out of spending my first night in the apartment. _An unpleasant implication presented itself to Noah, and his stomach twisted itself into a heavy knot as a response. _I hope she doesn't think I'm avoiding her. God forbid my actions have wounded her on a personal level!_

Robin's incessant pestering eventually grounded his detachment. When Noah's eyes found their targets, he noticed Robin was grilling Matthew on how their sleepover had gone over the night prior. Evidently, Robin was oblivious to the increasingly uncomfortable expression Matthew's face wore as she bombarded him with question after painstaking question.

Noah and Matthew had done their best to street the topic away from what had happened that night when they had met up with Robin in the morning. It was apparent, now, that their half-baked answers had done little to dissuade Robin's curiosity. Noah did not fancy himself a particularly capable liar. He was also aware that though Matthew was used to diverting the flow of conversation to topics not concerning his own well-being, even his defenses were beginning to wear thin in the brunt of Robin's unaware oppression.

"C'mon, spill the beans!" Robin prodded, tugging Matthew's sleeve. "You guys do anythin' fun? Lemme' guess," She tapped a finger against her chin and smiled. "The forest, right? You guys went explorin' near the caves and the lake and stuff? Or did you sneak into one of 'em adult movies? Ooh, or did ya' go downtown to the clubs and the bars and stuff with fake IDs? I won't tell nobody if ya' did somethin' illegal!"

"Robin," Noah interrupted swiftly, catching up to them from behind, "all we did last night was talk and play video games. Nothing more, nothing less."

Robin's shoulders dropped, as did her glowering smile. "But that's what you guys kept sayin' _last _time." The disappointment in her voice was palpable. "Why won't you guys tell me what really went on?"

"Come on Robin," Noah pressed, "do you really think we'd do any of that?"

"Don't gimme' that crap!" Robin rebuked, stunting Noah's diversion. "I can see right through ya'!" Her eyes went from Noah to Matthew as they avoided her gaze. She groaned and ran a hand through her hair. "I ain't claimin' to know what's runnin' through your guys' head, but it ain't fair, keepin' secrets bottled up like that."

"What do you really think went on, Robin?" Noah asked.

"I don't know!" Robin cried, flinging her hands into the air. "That's why I'm askin' you two, but you'd think you guys had brain damage or somethin' from the way you two keep avoidin' my questions."

Noah and Matthew traded blank looks. Matthew shrugged and mouthed, '_I got nothing._' Noah sighed, smiled, and reached over, flicking Robin on the forehead with his thumb and index finger.

"Ow!" Robin yelled, rubbing the area where she'd been flicked with her fingers. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

"That's my way of telling you to mind your own business." Noah said.

"Aha! So you're fessin' up!" Robin exclaimed, stopping on the spot and putting her hands on her hips. She leaned into Noah's face and stared daggers into his eyes. "You guys _are_ keepin' secrets!"

"Not necessarily." Noah said as he folded his arms.

"Tch!" Robin spat in disgust. "If that's the way you're gonna' be, then fine, whateva', have it your way! I don't care anymore. You guys can keep your stupid secrets. But I ain't talkin' to either one of you until you tell me!" She held her nose up high in the air and broke into a speedy walk, commanding a good deal of the sidewalk with her swinging arms and exaggerated steps. Noah smiled after her and glanced at Matthew wearily.

"Nice save," Matthew said, "…I think."

It hurt Noah to see Robin so deeply affected by their secrecy, but they had little choice in the matter. If keeping her out of the loop meant saving her life, then neither Noah nor Matthew would ever give up what had transpired that night. The two of them were prepared to bear the entire weight of the burden if it meant sparing Robin the horrors of that alternate reality. It was a risk they were willing to take.

Noah's apartment was on the opposite corner of the sidewalk. Robin was already far ahead of the two of them now, her pace not slowing a bit. Matthew clapped Noah on the back.

"Good luck, dude." Matthew said. "If anything happens, call me. I live just a few blocks from here."

"I appreciate it." Noah smiled. "See you later, Matthew."

**! ! !**

Noah arrived at the door to room 204. He fumbled in his pockets for the spare key his aunt had given to him. When it was within his fingers he pulled it out and stuck it into the lock, turning the key and pushing the door open.

There didn't seem to be any significant difference from the last time he had been here. Perhaps there were a few more pieces of trash lying around than before, but he honestly couldn't tell. The apartment was still a chaotic mess, and it would have taken hours to clean it all up. Carefully, Noah stepped through the garbage and into the living room. He looked left and saw a man sitting at the dining table.

The man wore a striped red and black flannel shirt with the sleeves lazily bunched up near his elbows. Mounds of stubble dotted the lower half of his face, the severity of his half-baked trim far past a five 'o clock shadow. His hair was cut close to his scalp. Cold, dark eyes simmered beneath his thin, arched eyebrows.

Sunlight skirted the half-turned blinds, silhouetting his worn frame as he glanced up from the plate of cold-looking food in front of him. A brief moment of awkward silence passed as they stared into each other's eyes, neither of them able to come up with a suitable introduction. The man—his mouth still full of mush—resumed chewing loudly, his lips smacking together obnoxiously. He reached underneath the table and wiped his mouth with a large, white napkin. Still chewing, he stood up from the table, his hands wiping against his beige, wrinkled jeans.

Noah swallowed as the man drew closer and closer, his height growing larger and larger with every step he took. Noah found himself craning his neck as he struggled to maintain eye contact. There was absolutely nothing in the man's eyes; they were empty and soulless.

The man's chewing slowed once he stood in front of Noah. He regarded Noah thoughtfully as he swallowed the food in his mouth and cleared his throat.

"You Noah?" He scratched his stubble awkwardly. "Catherine's nephew or something like that?"

"…Yeah." Noah said meekly. "Is she here?"

"Nah." The man replied, thumbing his nose. "She's still at work at the daycare." He looked behind himself at the half-finished plate of food warming up in the beams of sunlight filtering in through the blinds. "Told me to take you out for dinner once you got home. You eat yet?"

"I haven't." Noah said. "I can't say I'm very hungry though."

"Oh." The man shrugged. "Suit yourself. Leftovers are in the fridge of your appetite comes back. You need anything, I guess you can just call for me."

"Sure." Noah turned away and was about to head to his room before he stopped and turned back. "I didn't catch your name?"

"Huh?" The man looked up, halfway between getting into his chair. "Oh, name's Rob. I guess I'm your uncle. Nice to finally meet you, kid." Robert settled into his seat and looked past Noah at the messy living room. "Y'know, ever since we got wind that you were coming over to stay with us, Catherine hasn't stopped talking about you."

"Really?" Noah said, trying to hide a smile. "That's nice of her. I'll have to thank her when she gets home."

"You're all she ever talks about anymore." Rob continued absentmindedly, talking as if he hadn't heard a word Noah had said. "It's always about you, now. Like we adopted you or something."

Noah paused, unsure of how to go about responding to his uncle's admonishment. Awkwardly, Noah nodded and turned away from Rob. He could feel his uncle's gaze boring into his backside as he trudged down the hallway. It made him uncomfortable.

Vague bouts of anger flared up in his stomach as he left the dining room. He remembered, vividly, the feelings he had felt when he had first come into this apartment. It was difficult to forget. Had his uncle been present at that point and time, Noah was sure he would have no doubt attacked him without remorse. Face to face, however, his sentiments were altogether much more different than he had anticipated. It was neither anger nor resentment that bubbled like a cauldron inside of him. On the contrary, the most prominent emotion Noah felt when he looked at Rob as he sat there shoveling unappetizing gunk into his mouth was pity, and perhaps even sadness. It was not unlike how he had gazed upon Catherine when he had embraced her.

It made Noah sick to his stomach.

He sighed as he turned the knob to his door and entered his room. He dropped his bag onto the floor and sat at his desk, staring blankly out the window vista overlooking the street down below.

The very last thing Noah expected to feel for his uncle was compassion. Now, in the turmoil of emotions whipping up like a storm in his heart, he wasn't quite sure what to think about him.

Truth be told, he was finding it hard to know what to think about anything.

**Social Links:**

_Fool (The Team): 1  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 1  
(new) Emperor (Griffith): 0 + 1 = 1  
(new) Priestess (Lucia):0 + 1 = 1  
(new) Tower (Seth): 1 + 1 = 2  
(new) Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 1_


	8. Chapter 8, Patchwork

Chapter 8 – Patchwork

_August 24__th__, 2012_

"I don't think he's fit for the role."

Igor, taken from his wordless musings, looked up at Faith who had shut her compendium. "And why is that, my dear assistant?" Igor asked as his eyebrows rose perplexedly.

"It remains a mystery to me why someone more worthy was not chosen." Faith continued. "We have had guests of unquestionable caliber visit this realm. But this boy… he gives me serious doubts as to the likelihood of his survival." Faith crossed her legs and watched a fleet of school fish parade around the tubular room in perfect, harmonious synchronization. "I find myself calling into question the latent potential of the supposed 'Wild Card'."

Humming to himself quietly, Igor sorted through his tarot deck. "What cause do you have to believe he is not worthy of the title?" He asked, not looking up from his work.

"A good deal of things!" Faith said, her voice just shy of a yell. Igor looked up at her interestedly as she composed herself and tilted her head back, shutting her eyes. "I apologize, my master. But the boy lacks conviction. I sense a storm of conflicted emotion wreaking havoc within him, but I cannot pick out qualities worth admiring from its chaos."

"Do you worry for his safety?" Igor asked.

"By virtue of my profession, I am obligated to do so." Faith answered curtly. "But I cannot say with any iota of honesty that I sympathize with his lack of confidence. Should the Wild Card not be made of tougher stuff? Is it wrong of me to expect more out of someone who commands such limitless power?"

"No. That is a fair observation." Igor muttered. "But just because courage is not staring you in the face does not mean it is not there."

"That may be," Faith admitted reluctantly, "but it would be a terrible shame if people died under his leadership."

Igor's laughter came as a short, dry bark. Faith smiled, though it would have been clear to anyone who saw it that it was forced and uncomfortable. Her master did not laugh often, and when he did, it was always awkward and bizarre. To Faith, Igor seemed to wield a frankly dark and twisted sense of humor. Deep down he was irrefutably good-natured, but Faith kept up her guard around him at all times. By now she figured it was probably by habit rather than by cause for caution, but her master was never above messing with his assistant out of boredom or passing whimsy.

"You lack patience." Igor chuckled. "Don't you think you should give him time to grow into it?"

Faith wrinkled her nose and uncrossed her legs as she opened the velvet compendium sitting in her lap. "If that's how he's going to be, then so be it. Just know I won't be held accountable for any failings on his part. I don't think he has the strength to bear the weight which he has been burdened with. That's just the way I see it, my master."

Igor smiled thinly and kept on humming his tune. "Very well, my dear assistant."

**! ! !**

Nathaniel Blackwater paced back and forth in his room, a glowing cigarette stub hanging loosely from between his gnarled lips. His dark eyes blazed with anger just scarcely leashed. Puffs of white smoke billowed from his nostrils on occasion. It was all the young man could do in order to stop himself from getting into his car, careening on burning rubber into the cobblestone streets of Glasswater, and finding Noah Scofield so he could personally wring his neck and leave him lying dead in a ditch. The length of Nathaniel's slim frame twitched at the idea. It was difficult for him not to do just that.

"I'm going to kill him."

"What'd this kid do to get you so pissed off anyway, bro?"

Another young man roughly the same age as Nathaniel eyed him warily beneath the brim of his baseball cap. A can of cheap, chilled alcohol sloshed around in the young man's hand as he brought the beverage to his lips and took a small sip.

"You should have seen him," Nathaniel growled as he threw himself into the sofa next to the young man. "All cocksure of himself and full of pride. I should've wiped that smug look off of his face when I had the chance."

The young man set the beer down on the counter table in front of the couch and scratched his five 'o clock shadow absentmindedly. "Was it about Robin?"

Nathaniel grimaced. A short 'no' issued from his lips. The young man sighed patiently and adjusted the brim of his cap as he leaned back and splayed his arms out along the ridge of the backrest of the sofa. His light brown eyes followed the fan at the top of the room as it spun lazily in the ceiling. "You should try being a little more sociable or something, bro."

"I have." Nathaniel snapped, visibly perturbed. "I'm being as nice as is physically possible as far as my standards are concerned, David."

"So totally not sociable then." David said with a lopsided grin.

At first, Nathaniel gave David a fierce look, but his expression eventually softened and he gave a sharp laugh. "No, I guess not. Are you saying you could do better in my shoes?"

"Was that a rhetorical question?" David asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Just throwing it out there." Nathaniel shrugged.

David dug into the sofa, past bits of chips and dust, and wrapped his hands around the remote to the television when he felt it brush against his skin. He aimed the plastic device at the monitor to the small screen in the corner of the room and turned it on. As was per usual, the television was tuned to his favorite channel: the dancing channel. He planted his feet on the edge of the coffee table and yawned. Nathaniel wrinkled his nose at the monitor.

"I don't know why you keep on watching that stuff." Nathaniel remarked as he glanced up and down David's lanky body.

"'Cause it's entertaining?" David said matter-of-factly. "Anyway, back to the main point. If I've got this straight, you went ahead and talked to Robin after school even though we strictly told you to give up and this guy… Noah? He tells you to fuck off and you do like he tells you?"

"Not exactly like that…" Nathaniel muttered darkly through lidded eyes.

"Okay, okay!" David said in alarm, his hands going up in surrender. "Wouldn't want you going off the handle again…" He added under his breath. "Was Matt there too?"

Nathaniel scoffed and gave David another look. "Was _that _a rhetorical question?"

"I'll take that as a yes." David nodded sagely. "You know, I kinda' want to see this kid for myself. He sounds one-of-a-kind." Nathaniel glared at him before he added, meekly, "Kinda' like you, bro!"

"Well, I wouldn't push your luck." Nathaniel growled as a hip hop breakdancer on the screen smoothly spun gracefully across a cardboard cutout on the floor. "If I see his fucking face again, I'm not going to think twice about laying him out cold."

"You hardly come to school anyway!" David exclaimed.

"Then maybe it's about time I started going." Nathaniel replied.

"Dude…" David said in frustration as he took off his cap and ran his hands through his disheveled hair. "We don't have the money to bail you out if you get arrested like last time. C'mon bro, we're just trying to look out for you. Be the bigger man and let this one go, please, I'm beggin' you!"

Nathaniel turned his head and examined his friend's desperate expression, his hands clasped and his eyes wide and pleading. Had this been under different circumstances, he might have laughed and done as David was asking, but this was different. He wouldn't admit it to anybody—and he was aware of the fact that David lacked the courage to point this all-too obvious fact out—but his pride had been irreparably wounded. He had gotten into a minor confrontation and he had been the one to duck out first. Looking back on things, he didn't know why he had done that, but he had to get even. He had to make sure that this Noah understood who he was really dealing with.

If that meant getting arrested, Nathaniel would pay the price without a second thought.

He looked at David again and gave him a crooked smile.

"Sure thing, bro."

**! ! !**

Loud, clacking noises sounded from the dusty keypad of an old, gray laptop. Meaty, unwieldy fingers pounded away at the faded letters. A yawn came and went, and then, the typing stopped. The sound of a computer mouse moving across a textured study table, scrolling, clicking. Finally, the user of the laptop shut the device and stretched.

Seth Springfield rubbed his weary eyes and looked at the clock. It was late in the afternoon and he had just finished typing up an essay for his Literature class. He looked across the table at his study companion whose face was plastered on the desk, a thin line of drool hanging from her lips. He reached across the table and poked her cheek.

"What? Who's…" The girl wiped strands of dry, frizzy brown hair from her eyes and peered at Seth through blurred vision. "What am I still doing in the library?"

"The intent," Seth said while he began putting his things into his backpack, "was to study. I don't think I have to tell you how much of that you actually did."

The girl sat up straight in her chair and smiled dimly as she adjusted the red and black winter cap sitting on top of her head. "Ah, of course! Don't you fret Seth. That paper's as good as done in my brain. All I needs to do is get it on paper."

"How would you feel if I told you I didn't believe you?" Seth said with a frown. "Can you promise me you'll get it done before it's due?"

"No problem!" The girl beamed as she shoved a thumbs-up in Seth's direction. "See, I've got the outline practically completed, like a big, blinking old sign in the middle of the desert. Trust me, Seth, this one's in the bag."

Seth gave the girl a weary look, but he nodded resignedly. "Alright, if you say so. It's just, the last time you told me that, you ended up not submitting anything. If I remember correctly, you didn't even show up to class…"

"Fiddlesticks!" The girl blew hot air out of her cheeks and laughed whimsically. Her sudden outburst drew the attention of several disgruntled students studying in the library, as well as the librarians manning the checkout desks near the entrance. She puckered her lips inwards and chuckled to herself softly, and then whispered, "I'm a changed gal, my friend! Your days worrying about ol' Alice are through!"

"I'll believe it when I see it." Seth grunted as he folded his arms. "I've heard that one before."

"Whatever floats your boat." Alice sang as she crammed her untouched school supplies back into her backpack. "I don't even know why you care so much. It's not your grade that's at stake here."

"As your friend, it's only fair of me to watch out for you when you slip up." Seth said. "I'd expect the same courtesy from you."

"Not a good idea, friend." Alice warned, waving her finger at him. "I'm barely capable of cleaning up my own mess, let alone the messes other peeps leave behind."

"I trust you." Seth said with a bright smile. "I see the good in you, Alice. You might not see it, but I do."

"You're making me blush, stop it!" Alice giggled, pawing at Seth playfully. Her face then dropped, suddenly becoming very serious and blank. "I'm not pulling your leg Seth, don't rely on me to look after you. I love you like a brother, but I can't watch out for you. Just being honest."

Seth sighed and rested his chin on his knuckles. "You know Matt?"

"What about him?" Alice said, her head slightly cocked.

"I know a guy who got through to him." Seth's eyes were on Alice, but she felt as if he were looking past her at something else. They were dreamy and distant, focused on some ethereal substance that she could not join in reveling in. "I don't know how he did it, but he got through to him. All the things we did and he didn't budge an inch. Then this guy comes along and after a few days they're suddenly best friends. Can you believe it?"

Alice smiled and placed her cheek in her palm as she regarded Seth with warm eyes. "Well, no offense friend but you're awful intimidating whether you intend to be or not. You're six foot what now?"

"It's not my fault I put as much effort into my studies as I do into my health!" Seth complained.

"And then there's Robin." Alice continued, ignoring Seth's grumbling. "Wasn't she already a good friend of his?"

"No, this is different." Seth said with a short shake of his head. "I'm talking about a friend he can really touch base with. Robin's a good gal and all, but Matt can't connect with her on a fundamental level, you know? He needs someone he can bounce ideas off of, and… well, Robin tries to be empathetic but she's not exactly what I would call great at it. No offense to her, she tries very hard."

"Yes, she does." Alice said, a vague smile on her lips. "I haven't seen her in such a long time. What is she up to these days?"

"Oh, you know." Seth winked. "Sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, as per usual."

"I wouldn't settle for anything less." Alice laughed.

**! ! !**

Griffith Triton winced when Lucia Kennedy smiled brightly at him. There was a cone of ice cream sitting in her hand as they both walked side by side down the antiquated sidewalks of Glasswater, and a small dash of white cream colored the tip of her nose. Griffith reached out with his thumb and pinched her nose, eliciting a high-pitched protest of annoyance. He just smiled and ignored her pleas.

"I hope you know that cone you're holding wasn't for free," Griffith teased. "I expect repayment plus interest by the end of next week."

"What?" Lucia pouted. "I thought you said you were treating me out!"

"Gullible, as always." Griffith clicked his tongue.

Lucia fixed her gaze on the cone before pushing it into Griffith's hands. He gave her a confused look. "Um…" Griffith began, "what?"

"I don't want to owe you anything." Lucia grunted. "So I'm giving that back."

Griffith shook his head in disbelief and pushed it back into Lucia's hands. "Lucia, you really need to learn how to take a joke."

"What do you mean learn how to take a joke?" Lucia said, indignant. "I know how to take jokes, you jerk!"

"You really don't." Griffith smirked. "You should eat that before it melts."

"Huh? Oh!" Lucia's lips closed in on a thick line of melted ice cream running down past the side of her fingers. Embarrassed, she bit down on a large chunk of the treat and rapidly began chewing it in an attempt to avoid having to own up to her clumsiness. Her eyes squeezed shut as a brain freeze shot throughout her forehead.

Amused by her complete lack of professionalism, Griffith laughed. Lucia had a reputation around Glasswater High for being prim, proper, and always mannered. Many at the school thought of her as prudish and stuck-up, and with the way she behaved oftentimes Griffith found it hard to blame them. For all that she had in looks, she was sorely lacking everywhere else. Lucia's idea of social etiquette involved outlandish assumptions and backwards thinking. Her intellect was well above average, but when it came to street smarts, Lucia was sorely lacking.

Lucia saw Griffith watching her, and she quickly averted her gaze towards the row of locally-owned shops and businesses lining the street on the opposite sidewalk. Griffith sighed and put on his game face.

"Don't be mad!" Griffith pleaded. "You're just so fun to mess around with."

"Whatever!" Lucia grunted. She glared at him out of the corner of her eyes and steered the topic of conversation in a new direction. "So who was that guy who you and Seth were playing football with the other day?"

"Noah?" Griffith mused. "Can't say I know much about him. He usually chills with Robin and Matt."

"Who?" Lucia asked.

"Matthew I understand, but Robin? Seriously?" Griffith chuckled. "I guess if I had to describe her I'd call her the really loud, annoying one. You've met her before I'm pretty sure."

A light-bulb lit up inside of Lucia's brain. A knowing frown crossed her lips as vague memories began reeling inside of her. "Yes, I remember her. She was in one of my classes last year. Presumptuous, abrasive, rude… few others make me as angry as she does." Lucia bit her tongue and snorted in disgust. "It's no wonder I've forgotten her. I must have tried to cleanse myself of her filth."

Griffith's eyebrows rose in astonishment. "I knew she probably wouldn't be your cup of tea, but yikes! I'm a little shocked you despise her so much. You wanna' fill me in on the finer details or—"

"I don't want to talk about it." Lucia snapped. "All you need to know about Robin Tesla is that she's a morally bankrupt crook who goes around masquerading as a humanitarian. That's all."

All the while, Lucia had failed to notice the nearly completely melted ice cream spilling over her fingers as she quickly paraded forward. Dumbfounded by her sudden anger, Griffith rubbed his temples and followed in her stead.

**! ! !**

Matthew Livingston checked the inbox of his cell phone. A pair of reading glasses sat atop his face as he scribbled notes on a blank piece of paper with his other hand. He scrolled through his texts, hoping to find one from Robin. He sighed resignedly as he neared the end of the list.

_I didn't think she was serious. _He thought. _She's usually over stuff like this by now._

Due to concern for her well being, Matthew and his recently acquired friend Noah had decided to keep a secret of tremendous magnitude from their mutual companion, Robin Tesla. He rolled back from his desk and spun the pen in his hand from finger to finger. It had happened just a few days ago, but he found himself going back to that earth-shattering night time and time again. All the inconsistencies of the otherworldly realm he had visited, all of its oddities and trials… Matthew thought he had gone crazy when he had first woken up but he quickly came to realize that it was no mere dream.

Indeed, that world had been of much greater significance. But to what end?

Matthew poked his phone's buttons again as he clicked to his most recent message.

_No, she didn't reply to my message either. _The note from Noah read. _I know we promised not to tell her anything but at this rate I'm beginning to have second thoughts. What do you think? Is it worth the risk? _

With a troubled smile, Matthew picked up his phone and started to input a reply. _She usually isn't like this. But no, never. Why, you think we should? _

He carefully set the phone down near the edge of his study desk and bit down on his thumb's nail. True, he had considered spilling the beans on the event Noah and he had experienced, but then he would imagine Robin going through the exact same thing and his stomach would twist and turn in response. With feelings like that, he knew he couldn't tell her; especially if it meant running the risk of her becoming involved.

In retrospect, Matthew had to laugh at that.

Throughout the years that he and Robin had known each other, it had always been the other way around: no question. He wasn't certain why he felt the need to protect Robin when she would very likely do much better under the circumstances surrounding his and Noah's current predicament. Perhaps it was some half-baked notion of chivalry that propelled him to fulfill this uncharacteristically valiant behavior. Perhaps Robin's constant barrage of ego-boosting remarks was finally getting through to him. Perhaps it was Noah.

Much like with the other world, he would often find himself thinking about Noah when there was nothing else pressing on his mind. For what purpose he was unsure, but it was still unnervingly fascinating to him.

Admittedly, Matthew had not trusted Noah at first. He knew that you ought to never judge a book by its cover, but in some cases, exceptions could be made. At first glance, Noah would most likely not have fit that criterion under most people's expectations. Noah had been friendly, warm, and inviting: all of the traits required to make a good first impression on complete strangers. But Matthew had not bought into it. At the time he wasn't quite sure what he thought, but after some time alone, he had pinpointed the feeling.

It was fear.

Noah acquiring his Persona in spectacular fashion had only solidified that thought. Maybe it was irrational, maybe it was stupid, maybe it was all manner of things compounded into a singular notion, but he knew what he felt. Some part of Matthew was aware that Noah did not mean him any ill will. If anything, it should be the other way around. Matthew was the one who was keeping secrets. But still, he could feel something. An awesome power growing inside of Noah.

Whether it was a weed or a rose, only time would tell.

**! ! !**

_Morons! _

Robin Tesla clutched her phone and flung it across the room. It rebounded off the wall and landed onto her bed. She crossed her arms and pulled her knees up into her chest. There was a frown twitching at the corners of her lips as she tried to focus on the sitcom playing on the small television in her room. Robin simmered quietly as a small group of friends gathered around a table and began eating lunch.

_Treatin' me like some kinda' kid… _Robin fumed as she rubbed her forehead out of irritation. She groaned, stood up, walked to the television, and hit the power button. It had been impossible for her to concentrate on anything these past few days, and Noah and Matthew's secret expenditure had been keeping her up on more than a few occasions. She was at a loss as to why it made her so angry. Usually, she didn't let things like this get to her: people keeping secrets. Like most people, Robin knew what it was like being the third wheel. It didn't take her long to get over it.

But this? This was different.

She saw it in their eyes when she met up with them. Something had happened, and if she was reading their expressions right, it wasn't anything good. If they had gone out and done something stupid for fun, she would have dropped the subject as quickly as she had brought it up, answer or no. But in her heart, she knew that just wasn't the case. There was something more to what had happened that night. She wouldn't rest until she found out. If it meant barring all contact from the two of them for the rest of the school year, she would do just that.

Although if she was being honest with herself, it was starting to become difficult to maintain her track record.

Robin thrived on human contact. She rarely, if ever, spent time at home. If she could get away with doing homework while going down a hundred foot water slide, she would jump at the chance to do so in a heartbeat. Willfully ignoring one of her best friends was wearing on her patience. She was mad at Matthew. She was mad at Noah. Perhaps most of all, she was mad at herself.

_Am I imaginin' things? _Robin wondered as she pressed a hand to her eye and yawned.

Noah Scofield. Robin wasn't certain if she had ever met anyone quite like him. She knew he had made an impression on Matthew. Interestingly enough, nothing about Noah stood out to her before he met him. Awkward and unsure, but still unabashedly friendly, Noah was the picture of many budding young men in high schools all across the globe. Judged by those merits, Noah was no outstanding student. But out of all the people she had introduced to Matthew, none of them had gotten across to him quite like Noah had. Not even Seth, someone she frequently depended on when her own socialization tactics weren't up to snuff.

Slowly, Robin's disposition dimmed. It had already been on the lower end of the spectrum, but the more time she spent alone, the more she tended to focus on negative emotions.

Robin awkwardly reached down into the bag near the foot of her chair and pulled out her effects. She spread out her books, binders, folders, pens, and pencils across the surface of her scratched, wooden desk.

For a moment, all she could do was glare at the piles of schoolwork contemptuously. Under a jury of her peers, Robin would have been the first to admit that she was no scholar. Never in all of her years of schooling did she even approach anything resembling above average intelligence. Through and through, Robin Tesla was a C-student. She was neither proud nor ashamed of this. It was just something that was.

Robin groaned and leaned back in her chair. Usually during times like this, she would turn to Matthew for help. He was quiet, but smart. Perhaps that wasn't uncommon, but Robin was always thankful for his intellect all the same. She was always careful to make sure it never seemed like she was returning the favor by spending time with him. Genuinely, she cared for him and his company and out of the dozens of friends she had made in high school, he was the one she probably spent the most time with. Her other friends had no qualms about voicing their opinions regarding their eccentric friendship. Robin smiled nostalgically. She remembered it well.

She: the abrasive, loudmouthed, opinionated tomboy and he: the quiet, introverted, loner.

**! ! !**

_November 11__th__, 2011_

"_You, uh… Matt Livingston?" _

_Robin Tesla stood there holding a piece of paper with one hand and the strap of her backpack with the other. Her eyes bounced from the name on the slip she held and the sullen looking youth sitting in the chair at the table in front of her. Matthew didn't reply. Instead, he simply motioned to the chair next to him and sighed. Robin shrugged and slid into the seat, throwing the backpack onto the table as she did. Matthew furrowed his brow at her apparent disinterest, but he kept his mouth zipped tight. _

_It was after school and Robin's teacher, Mr. Schrodinger, decided that he had had enough of Robin's mathematical ineptitude. She had been forced to sign up for a tutor session after school lest he fail her right there and then. He had the capacity to do so; Robin's latest quizzes and tests hadn't fared particularly well and her homework was a no-show. Not wanting to repeat sophomore year, Robin reluctantly gave in to Mr. Schrodinger's request and signed up for a session after school with one 'Matthew Livingston' for one hour. _

_She'd seen him around the school every now and then. She never had the opportunity to speak with him given the fact that they shared no mutual classes, and she couldn't honestly say that she cared to know more. He was aloof and distant from the few times she'd observed him and she wasn't particularly fond of fraternizing with introverted folk. She had her own problems to deal with and people like him topped the list of people she didn't want to meet. _

"_A'iight, let's get this over with." Robin puffed, tossing items from her backpack haphazardly onto the table. She avoided making eye contact with Matthew as he coldly watched her organize her belongings. Once her things were in order, she clicked her mechanical pencil and gave Matthew the go-ahead. He nodded curtly and leaned over her worksheet at the problems she was having trouble with. _

"_Geometry?" He looked up at her quizzically. _

"_Yeah." Robin said, puzzled. "What about it?"_

_Matthew just waved it off and scooted forward on his chair. "Never mind. What are you having trouble with?"_

_Robin gave him an odd look, but she pinched several pages of the Geometry textbook and flipped through them at random. "I dunno'." She said rigidly as she rested her chin on her knuckle. "All of it, I guess." _

_With a frown, Matthew sat back and shook his head. "We've got an hour. I won't be able to help you very well if don't tell me what you're having the most trouble with."_

"_Look," Robin sighed, "I'm only here because Schrodinger pretty much forced me to. I ain't stupid, just lazy. So if you'd be so kind, just sign my slip sayin' I was here for an hour and we'll both be on our merry way, hm?" _

_Troubled, Matthew looked away, unsure of how he wanted to respond. Robin shrugged and folded her hands behind her head, tipping her chair onto the edges of its back two feet and tilting backward and forward precariously with her knee. "You don't wanna' be here. I don't wanna' be here. Just sign the slip and it's a win-win situation. You get to go home and do… whatever you like to do and I get to do shit I actually like. C'mon, it'll only take a sec." _

"_That's… that's not right."Matthew stammered. "He'll know that you didn't do your work the next time you submit a quiz or a test. You'd fail." _

_A dry laugh tumbled out of Robin's mouth as she regarded Matthew with bemusement. "Yo, don't take this the wrong way but I can't say I know many dudes who care about lyin' to teachers. What's it to you? Community service hours? This is an agreement made in secret 'tween you and I, ain't nothin' Schrodinger's gotta' know about. Sign the slip, bro. No one gives a shit." _

"_I just…" Matthew hung his head dejectedly. "…I guess you're right." _

_Satisfied with herself, Robin tipped the edge forward and landed the two front feet down onto the carpeted floor. "Glad you see things my way." She leaned over and dug into her bag, searching for the slip that would have documented the proverbial hour they spent together. When she found it, she beamed and slapped it down onto the table in front of Matthew. "There you go! Right on the dotted line." _

_Still obviously unhappy with the turn of events, Matthew clicked his ballpoint pen and touched the tip of the metal to the surface of the sheet. Palms sweating and knees trembling, Matthew started to write out his signature as Robin eyed him disinterestedly. When he was a quarter of the way through, he shut his eyes and pushed the paper away, his hands retreating underneath the desk. Robin's vigor snapped to attention and she sat up in her seat in alarm. _

"_Woah, what?" She began, "I thought you were cool with it! C'mon, don't pussy out now!" _

"_I can't do it." Matthew shook his head as he nervously clicked the end of his pen over and over. "It's not about the service hours, I just… I can't just lie like that." _

"_You gotta' be shittin' me." Robin muttered in disbelief as she smacked her palm to her forehead. "Don't do this to me dude. I ain't fun to be around when I get impatient. And I will get impatient." She gave him a warning glare. "Trust me on that one." _

"_I don't care." Matthew shrugged as he leaned over and flipped open Robin's Geometry textbook. "Anything's better than being a liar." _

_Openly, Robin sneered. "You know, you talk real big for someone who's so quiet all the time." _

_To that, Matthew had no response. Instead, he shrunk into his seat, appearing smaller than he already was. He glanced at Robin's Geometry textbook and flipped it open. He began flipping through pages at random, not actually sure where he was going to turn to. Robin had said she was having problems with everything. Wouldn't that mean they had to start at square one? _

_Robin watched him with cold eyes. "Gimme' a fuckin' break!" She laughed coldly and crossed her arms, pinning her foot on the desk and leaning back in her chair. "This is a waste of both of our time. Shut the damn book and sign the slip! It ain't hard!" _

_Her outburst was beginning to draw the attention of other students and librarians in the library. Her fiery demeanor went untendered by their obvious disapproval of her flare-up, however, and she continued to voice her discontent at Matthew's inability to submit to her wishes. Every syllable that slipped past her lips caused the meek boy to withdraw further and further into his shell until he was at the breaking point. Matthew was not generally one to cry in public, but the girl who was publically berating him was pushing him to do just that. When he thought he could barely take another word, something happened. _

_A figure came up from behind Robin and tapped her on the shoulder. She snapped around and glared up at the person who loomed above her, the figure's arms crossed. _

"_The hell you want, bud—" Robin's voice faltered as her eyes climbed the height of the figure's enormous body, her neck craning backwards and backwards until it felt sore and weary. Her eyes squinted as she looked at the figure's head silhouetted against the light fixtures planted in the ceiling. The giant leaned down until his face became clearer, his nose just inches away from Robin's. His face was like stone, cold and blank. _

_And then, a smile. _

"_Would you kindly lower your voice?" The man whispered cheerily. "Other students here—myself included—are trying to study." _

_The girl who had been almost yelling just moments ago was at a loss for words, her mouth opening and closing though no sounds issued from her lips. Finally, after a few uncomfortable moments regaining her composure, she made a face at him and scoffed._

"_What're you gonna' do about it?" _

_The student's expression dropped and he frowned. "Oh." He said, puzzled. "Well in that case…" He leaned in until their noses were touching and he grinned. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave." _

"_O…Oh." Robin said, slightly bewildered._

_The student looked over at the papers splayed over the desk and rubbed his chin. "What are you two studying, anyway? Geometry, by the looks of it?" He smiled and pulled up a chair next to a confused Robin and a mystified Matthew. "I'm pretty good at this subject. I can help you two if you're having trouble." _

_Robin and Matthew traded looks. _

"_By the way," the student said as he unzipped his backpack, "the name's Seth."_

**Social Links:**

_Fool (The Team): 1  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 1  
Emperor (Griffith): 1  
Priestess (Lucia): 1  
Tower (Seth): 2  
Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 1_


	9. Chapter 9, Intervention

Chapter 9 – Intervention

Noah Scofield awoke amidst chunks of charred stone and burning embers. Smoke rose up into an inky canvas set against a backdrop of shimmering lights as he slowly propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes opening and closing slowly. He smelled things—terrible, awful things—and heard crying and screaming off in the distance. The sky was alight with the flames coursing and beating in the wake of a hot wind blowing all around him. It stung his eyes and burned his nostrils, like an acidic tendril prodding his body. A dry, hacking cough rose up from within him as his eyes watered from the smoke. Everything hurt.

Slowly, Noah got to his knees and struggled to open his eyes. His vision was marred by a thin line of water building up in the corners of his eyes, but he was able to make out the general composition of the landscape around him.

Piles of rubble and stone lay scattered across the ground for as far as the eye could see, or at least, as far as he could see until his vantage was blocked by larger mounds of wreckage. Some of the ruins blazed with bright, luminescent flames. Scraps of trash were also spread among the debris.

Noah knew not what to make of the vision sitting before him. Immediately, his mind snapped back to when he had awoken inside of the alternate Glasswater high school. Memories of what had happened there began rushing into him like a tidal wave, smashing through his composure and wearing thin on his mind's hazy, but stable tranquility. He felt his breathing become labored and harsh. His mind began to race with what new horrors might be lying inside of this realm.

_Where am I now? _Noah thought blearily. _Why am I here again, so soon? _A terrible thought occurred to Noah and he felt his stomach tie up into a painful. _What… what if I never returned from the other realm? _

A harsh chill swept through his body as the possibility of that being true echoed inside of him. What if he hadn't won against Matthew's shadow? What if he had actually lost the battle, plunging him deeper into a nightmare infinitely more terrible than the one he had just experienced? Noah raked his hair and felt the strength leave his body. His arms flopped to the side as he stared at a puddle of water reflecting a fire burning in its vicinity.

Noah's hands clutched the soil as he clawed his way to the surface of the water, wanting to see himself. He didn't know why he did—he knew what he looked like after all—but something compelled him to go to its edges. Once he was there, Noah planted his hands just shy of the water's edge and dragged his face over the surface of the water.

He froze.

His face, his eyes, his hair; everything was as it usually was. But there was something new, something foreign, something _moving _across the expanse of his neck. Some black, deep, formless shape writhing on his skin, glowing hot red as his eyes widened in horror. Noah's mouth was agape in shock. One of his hands went up to brush the symbol twitching and squirming on his neck, and when it did, he nearly cried out in pain from the contact. It burned like hellfire.

And then Noah screamed... but not from the pain of the strange mark on his neck.

A burst of fire exploded in his chest and his head arched backwards, his face parallel with the night sky. A hoarse scream tore through his throat as specks of blood flew up from his lips. Noah's hands trembled as he slowly looked down at the source of his sudden outcry.

There, sticking out from the very center of his chest was a long, clean, silver blade. Its length was stained with crimson red. It took him a while to process the fact that the blood on the weapon was his. The red on the cold steel plunged through his body was _his _blood.

_My blood… _Noah thought, stunned. _That's… that's my blood! _

More of the sticky red substance issued forth from his lips as his fingers weakly brushed against the surface of the weapon. His mind went blank as the pain from being mortally wounded began to cloud what rational part of his mind still remained. Noah tried to turn his head in order to see the face of his attacker. His neck seemed to scream with the effort, like a rusty hinge shrieking as it turned.

But alas, it was not meant to be.

Before Noah could identify his assailant, his vision darkened and he fell face-first into the puddle. Water splashed up as his head hit the ground, his lips and nostrils becoming invaded by the soiled liquid. His eyes fluttered shut, and then he was no more.

**! ! !**

Sweat seeped through his sheets and his clothes when Noah bolted upright from his bed. His eyes shot open. It was difficult for him to stunt his quickened breathing on command. Noah looked at his white-hot knuckles as they tightly gripped his blanket. He took a hand to his face and ran it over his forehead. Light peered in from the streetlamps standing upright outside his window, and he could faintly see the sweat from his brow shimmering on the tips of his fingers.

Noah placed a hand over his chest and took a deep breath. It took a while, but his breathing steadied and his racing heart slowed to a trot. He licked his dry lips and swallowed. He felt as if he had just taken a long jog through the Sahara Desert.

Wearily, Noah set his feet down on the floorboards. He ran a hand through his damp hair and snapped his cell phone open. If the time on his phone was correct, it was fairly late: 10:56. His eyes twitched slightly when he noticed the red telephone icon in the corner of his phone, indicating that he had missed a call. Noah navigated through his menus and he stopped short when he saw the notification just before opening the inbox menu.

_22 missed calls? _He clicked once and scanned the list of names that permeated the inbox. _They're all from Matthew… what on earth? _Noah clicked Matthew's name and pressed the call button, drumming his fingers on his knees as the dial tone beeped in the receiver. He nearly jumped when Matthew's ragged voice came blaring through the earpiece.

"Noah! Noah, are you there?" Matthew's voice came vibrantly clear, and Noah had to hold the phone away at a distance because it hurt his eardrums. There was certainly cause for concern though. By nature Noah knew that Matthew was not one to raise his voice in alarm unless it was important, and by the tone of his voice, something dreadfully wrong had happened.

Noah moved his lips to the speaker and cleared his throat. "Matthew, I'm here. What's wro—"

"God damn it, Noah!" Matthew's voice cracked with pain when he said Noah's name. "Where the fuck have you been? I've been trying to reach you for hours!"

"I-I…" Noah was at a loss for words. What had gotten Matthew into such a state of panic that he would resort to such coarse language? Noah's eyebrows furrowed as he pressed his phone tighter to his face. "Matthew, don't you know where I live? If—"

"No, I don't—ugh, that's not the point! Damn it, Noah, its Robin!"

Noah froze. The world came to a screeching halt as Robin's name tumbled out of the speaker. He had a good feeling he knew what Matthew was about to say next, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. After all, he and Matthew had been careful. Robin may not have spoken to either of them for the entirety of the week, but they had kept to their guns about not telling her about the alternate Glasswater high school or Matthew's shadow.

"Noah, are you listening!?" Matthew's voice came out, almost a scream, and it brought Noah back to his senses.

"Yes." Noah said calmly. "Matthew, where are you?"

"I headed to Robin's house just a little while ago." Matthew said quickly. "I was getting worried about her, so I decided to pay her a visit. When I got to her house, her parents said she hadn't come home! I've been looking for her everywhere and I can't find her! God, what if she… what if she's…"

"Don't be rash." Noah chastised. "You can't know that for sure."

"Then where the fuck do you think she is!?" Matthew screeched over the phone.

Noah scratched his head in frustration and, for a moment, was sorely tempted to hang up on Matthew. He could understand very well where Matthew was coming from. One of his friends—one of his best friends no less—was missing and for all they knew, she could have been lost inside of the alternate Glasswater high school. At the same time, Matthew was making it difficult to think on what their next course of action would be.

Quietly, Noah sat there and let Matthew compose himself. It was abundantly clear to Noah that Matthew wasn't in his right state of mind. It took a lot to get him to the breaking point, and putting Robin in mortal danger was hitting him where it hurt the most. Matthew's compassion for his friend was something Noah admired greatly, and it was something he wished Matthew could see for himself past all of his self-depreciation.

Now wasn't the time for that, however. Noah moved his lips to the receiver one more time. "Are you okay now?"

A few heavy huffs and puffs, and then, "…Yeah." There was an awkward pause, followed by a, "I'm sorry. I didn't know who else to call."

"It's cool." Noah said with a slight smile. He was glad that Matthew trusted him with something so clearly personal. It was a shame that it came at the cost of one of their friends safety, but all the same, he was grateful for the opportunity. "Um, first question. You tried calling her?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Matthew said, clearly more than a little annoyed.

"Fair enough." Noah laughed awkwardly. "What about her parents? Are they searching for her with you?"

For an odd while, Matthew was silent. After some uncertainty, Matthew said feebly, "No."

Noah had to raise an eyebrow at that. From the tone of Matthew's voice, it sounded like there was more to it than what he was willing to give up. Still, he wasn't in the mood to press the matter.

"Well, where are you right now?" Noah asked. "I can meet up with you and from there, we can go look for her together."

"I'm still near Robin's house." Matthew said. "It's not too far from the corner where you live, do you have a computer? I can give you the directions…"

In the background over the phone, Noah could hear the sound of a car pulling up just a little ways off as Matthew's voice faltered. Its loud engine rumbled noisily. Confused, Noah pressed his cell harder to his ears. He could faintly hear the sound of a car door opening, then slamming shut.

"Matthew?" Noah said tentatively. "Matthew, are you there?"

"It's Nathaniel." Matthew answered quietly. Instinctively, Noah tensed up. If Matthew and Robin hadn't been exaggerating about Nathaniel's violent streak, he guesstimated nothing good could come of him being there.

"Don't talk to him." Noah warned, the tension in his voice heightening. "Don't do anything stupid, Matthew."

Noah's warnings were met only with silence as the sound of footsteps gradually increased with volume over the phone. Noah could hear the phone shut off, and then silence. Gritting his teeth, Noah dialed Matthew again, quietly cursing himself for not being able to convince Matthew to step off. Matthew didn't answer.

"Shit!" Noah swore. He knew that it likely wouldn't do him much good, but he tried to call Robin. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, she didn't pick up.

In a haze of adrenaline, Noah dashed to his closet and tore a light blue and gray, zip-up hooded sweatshirt from one of his hangers. He fumbled with it for a bit, messily slipping his arms through the sleeves and tugging at the zipper. The only thoughts in his head at that moment concerned Matthew, Robin, and Nathaniel. Why had Matthew hung up the phone? What was going on with Robin and her parents? Why had Nathaniel shown up so late at night? In his state of mind, Noah couldn't have possibly arrived at any kind of logical answer to any of the dozens of questions racing through his mind. All he knew was that he needed to help them, to be there for Robin and Matthew in whatever way he was capable.

Noah stumbled out of his door and turned to go out of the hallway and out of the apartment…

…Only to come face to face with his uncle Robert.

The two of them stood there awkwardly for a moment, sizing each other up, through Noah did not mean to. A sneer crossed Robert's lips as he slouched forward and pushed Noah back, towards his room. Almost as a reflex, Noah slapped his uncle's hands away from him, a look of determination settling across his worn face. Robert's eye narrowed as Noah glanced at the bottle of alcohol clutched tightly in Robert's other hand.

"The hell do you think you're doin'?" Robert slurred drunkenly. He teetered left and right, trying to look as composed as was possible in his current state. "You got any idea what time it is?"

"I need to go." Noah declared. "My friends are in trouble."

Robert held his stomach and tried to contain laughter as droplets of beer sprinkled onto the carpet. Robert coughed, and then ventured a skeptical glare at Noah as he placed his hands on his knees. "Get a load of this guy! Little Noah thinks he's a fuckin' hero or somethin'… Catherine! Catherine, look at your nephew! Check this guy out! Ahahaha!"

"I don't need your permission." Noah muttered matter-of-factly. He attempted to slip past Robert, but his uncle was having none of it. In an instant, Noah felt Robert's other hand grip his arm. He tried to wrestle it free from his uncle's tight grip, but Robert was much too strong. Robert grabbed Noah by the neck and forcefully slammed him backwards into the end of the hallway. Noah's back hit the wall and he slid down, coughing as he held his sore neck.

"How fuckin' dare you." Robert growled dangerously, "Whose house do you think this is, huh? Too bad for you, your auntie ain't here to stick up for your ungrateful ass. It's just you and me, compadre."

Noah avoided eye contact with the drunk barring his path and tried, once more, to strong-arm his way. His uncle just laughed and crossed his arms. "When are you gonna' learn? Way I see it, you got two options here: you can A: go to your room like a good little boy or B: slug it out with me until you're black and blue. What's it gonna' be?"

Unfortunately—or, depending on how you looked at it, fortunately—for Robert, Noah didn't have to think very hard. Without any kind of warning whatsoever, Noah stepped forward and delivered a vicious right hook to his uncle's face. Clearly not expecting any kind of actual delivery on the part of his nephew, Robert simply stood there shock-still as Noah's fist inched closer and closer to his cheekbones.

It only took a moment. Noah's knuckles collided with his uncle's mouth. Spittle and tiny flecks of blood flew out from Robert's mouth as his consciousness quickly left him. He dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks and lay there awkwardly, splayed out like an intoxicated gingerbread man.

Noah rubbed his tender fist and threw a pitiful look towards his knocked-out uncle. He had done it virtually without thought. At the same time, he had to admit that even if he had given himself some time to think it through, he still probably would have gone through with it. Noah couldn't have known whether or not his uncle would have been reasonable if he had been sober, and he certainly wasn't willing to wait until Robert's intoxication wore off to find out.

Not wanting to waste any more time than he had already, Noah jogged to the apartment door and wrapped his hand around the handle. He bit his lip and threw another quick glance at Robert, still lying on the floor and breathing loudly through his nostril. Letting the better part of him get the best of him, Noah groaned and walked back over to Robert. He slung his arms under Robert's armpits and dragged him up onto the sofa in the living room. There was a thin blanket on the armrest, and he used it to cover Robert up from the chill permeating throughout the apartment. Noah looked over his admittedly rushed handiwork, nodded, and then set out to look for Matthew and Robin.

**! ! !**

Deathly quiet, Glasswater stood at nearly a standstill. It was dark out, and due to the town's penchant for antique, architectural flair, the lights lining the streets and sidewalks were centuries-old lampposts flickering in the night. The stars in the sky were out in full force and they shined ever-brighter in Glasswater where artificial light was not in abundance, especially compared to its neighboring cities further north up the coast.

Calm waves of water lapped gently at the edges of Glasswater beach's shoreline. The only noteworthy sounds from the surroundings were the echoes of waves turning and tumbling in the distance. The luminescent white of the moon hovered just above the crest of the horizon off in the distance. Its unearthly regality shimmered off of the ripples in the water, casting a wobbly reflection in the waves.

One Alice Stonewall curled her toes in the sand, smiling at the coarse feeling it generated against her smooth skin.

Contented with the night's findings, the senior student from Glasswater High stood up from her seat at the edge of the shore and stretched. Her form was silhouetted against the bright moon. Every now and then, Alice would find herself driving to Glasswater's beach at night to just relieve some stress and treat herself to some alone time. It wasn't that she disliked it during the day when there were people scattered along the shore; it was simply the fact that there was little else to compare to the feeling of sitting at the water's edge alone with your own thoughts.

At some point in her short life, Alice had attended a psychological lecture at a community college detailing the difference between introverted people and extroverted ones. Supposedly, introverts recharged their energy by being alone. At the same time, being introverted also implied that you preferred being alone to the kinetic energy gained from social gatherings. Personally, Alice didn't much buy into that theory. Solace, as a preference, certainly didn't define her.

She simply believed that there was much peace to be had in being by yourself, every now and again.

Alice cast her eyes down at the corner of a notebook jutting out of the sand. She wrinkled her nose and pinched it carefully between her fingers, pulling it out and cramming it into the pocket of her jacket. Her psychiatrist—whose company Alice did not particularly enjoy to be perfectly blunt—encouraged Alice to take some time out of the end of every day to record her thoughts and feelings into her diary.

_She must be dumber than a sack of rocks if she thinks I'm going to do any of that. _Alice grumbled.

Alice spun around and started to head back towards her car in the parking lot, but not before casting one last forlorn glance over her shoulder at the moon.

**! ! !**

_Never anyone out when it's this late_. Alice thought as she turned on her high beams and cruised absentmindedly down a narrow street, away from the beach. She wistfully glanced at the locally-owned shops and eateries lining the streets.

Many of the stores she passed had existed in Glasswater for decades. Glasswater's city council was averse to the allure of implementing popular chains of stores and fast food restaurants in order to attract more income and promote population growth. Their dedication to the preservation of the town's lineage was unparalleled, and renowned around the area. Their stubbornness had worked both in and against its favor. On one hand, the purity of their town's ancient sensibilities attracted a consistent inflow of tourism the year round, offsetting the cost of harboring a relatively small population. The town's tourism usually peaked around Christmas, where Glasswater would be inundated beneath a surge of snowfall.

It was hard for Alice to blame them. Glasswater looked stunning when it was buried under several feet of white. Especially when the decorators went around hanging Christmas lights across the streets.

Alice smiled dreamily as she pictured the town aglow with lights and festivities.

So lost was she in her daydreams that she barely had time to avoid a lone figure as it quickly crossed the street she drove down, oblivious to the oncoming approach of her vehicle.

The aloof girl nearly bit her tongue off as she slammed her foot on the brake and swerved to the side. The rubber of her tires screeched in agony as they skidded along the asphalt, generating smoke and smell as Alice was thrown forward in her seat. Reflexively, her hand came down hard onto the middle of her steering wheel, eliciting a high-pitched wail from the horn of her car. The figure, presumably unsure of how to react to her as she came nearer and nearer, stood completely still in the center of the lane.

The nose of Alice's car dipped forward as—to the luck of both her and the person frozen in the middle of the road—her two-ton weapon came to a complete stop mere millimeters from the figure's knees. For a moment, Alice was speechless as she and the person she almost hit exchanged shocked stares. Alice's lips moved up and down, but no sound came out of them.

Suddenly, the figure shook his head and broke off into a jog, away from the scene of his near-accident and down another street intersection. The boy's sudden departure awoke Alice from her daze, and she quickly rolled down her window and yelled out to him from the vantage of the driver's seat.

"Hey, where are you going? Are you alright!?"

The boy barely stopped, unperturbed by Alice's words. She grunted and turned her car on a dime, following him as he continued on his run. In just a few moments, she was on his heel and she leaned out of her window as she came closer. Eventually, the boy's run slowed as Alice neared. She could just barely hear the ragged breaths struggling to come out of his throat.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked as she came to a stop.

Head down and hands on knees, the stranger struggled to catch his breath. It was freezing outside, and Alice could see white puffs of breath trailing from his mouth. Alice sat back in her car and patiently allowed the ragged youth to regain his composure. Taking this as a brief opportunity to collect her own thoughts, Alice wondered as to why she had even bothered to pursue the boy as much as she had. She didn't know him and she had no obligation to rectify the state of his well-being. At the end of the day, he was just another face in the crowd.

Distraught, the young man looked up and looked Alice straight in the eye. "Do… do you… do you go to Glasswater High?"

"Yeah?" Alice affirmed, slightly puzzled. "Why?"

"Do you… do you know Robin? Robin… Tesla?"

An image of Robin's cheery complexion appeared within Alice's subconscious. Alice smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes. She's a close friend. Is there a reason you want to know?"

The young man, finally composed, stood straight up and passed a hand over his weary face. "I've been running around trying to find where she lives but I haven't made any progress. Do you know where I could find her? It's—" A grimace flashed over his features, but he let it pass and finished his thought, "—it's an emergency."

"…Is that so?" Alice wondered aloud as she eyed him cautiously.

"Please!" The young man pleaded as he stepped forward and gripped the edge of Alice's window. "I'm telling the truth! I know how weird this looks, but she's in trouble!"

For the life of her, Alice couldn't figure out why she felt compelled to help him out. He seemed earnest and honest and all sorts of adjectives for the word 'nice', but criminals tended to be skilled liars. At the heart of things, Alice really did want to help him out. She'd been approached by 'earnest fellows' in clubs or on the streets prior, but Alice was the perceptive type. Usually, she could see straight through to the true intentions of two-faced liars in the blink of an eye. In contrast, however, the boy pleading before her struck her as painfully sincere.

"I just…" The skin on the young man's knuckles whitened as he looked downcast. A thought blinked into his head and he leaned forward excitedly. "Matthew! Robin's with Matthew, I think! And… it's Nathaniel! He's there too, and I can't… I can't leave the two of them alone!"

"Their friendship isn't exactly a secret, you know." Alice remarked coolly.

"I know that." She smiled thinly. "But you have my attention." Alice reached into her glove compartment and pulled out her cell phone, looking for Robin's name. She dialed it once she found it and sat back in her car seat as she waited for her to pick up.

It didn't take long.

"Hello?" Robin's voice came through loud and clear. Alice's eyebrows raised as she gave Noah a wary side glance.

"Robin!" Alice beamed. "How are you? It's been ages!"

"I'm doin' great!" Robin replied. Alice turned to look at the boy incredulously. He was watching her with a look of utter perplexion. How did he think he was going to get away with this? "It's kinda' late, though. Why you callin'?"

"Oh, it's just this kid. Um…" Alice put a hand over the receiver and looked at the boy. "What's your name?"

"It's Noah." The boy said, somewhat impatiently. Alice's eyes narrowed as she nodded and took her hand off.

"He said Noah. Ring any bells?"

"Oh, Noah!" Robin said. "Yeah, I know that kid! Why, you meet him or something?"

Alice had to admit that she was taken aback. With the way things were going, she half-expected this Noah to turn out to be some kind of stalker looking to hitch a free ride to his victim's household. Hell, Alice didn't know him and for all she knew he might very well be just that. Still, knowing that Robin was familiar with him relieved a significant amount of tension.

"Yes, actually." Alice said with a slight nod. "He said he was looking for you. Said you were in a spot of trouble or something? Matthew was at your house or something and apparently so is Nathaniel?"

Alice grimaced as Robin laughed boisterously through the phone. She held the phone at a distance as she waited for Robin's outburst to die down. "Haha, ask him if he's on drugs or something! That's funny! Ahahaha!"

Alice shook her head, but she smiled. It did her heart good to see Robin in such high spirits. "I probably have to, haha. So… should I give him a lift to your place?"

"Bring him on down!" Robin said. "See you guys in a bit!"

Their phone call ended. "You lied." Alice said as she gave Noah a blank stare.

"…What…?" Noah's mouth opened slightly as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Robin's number. He paused for a bit as he waited, and shook his head when the call went through. Apparently, he got no answer.

"Give that to me." Alice said, extending her arm.

Noah dropped his phone into her waiting palm. She moved it to her lips. "Robin?"

"Yeah! What's up? You need directions or somethin'?"

"No, it's just…" Alice covered the receiver again and gave Noah a confused look. "What exactly is the problem here? I can hear her just fine."

"All I hear is Robin asking me to leave a message." Noah said, his voice growing more and more frightened. "How… how are you hearing her? What's going on?"

"Th-that's my line!" Alice said. "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Yo, what's goin' on?" Robin's voice came muffled through Alice's hands.

"Oh, er… this is hard to explain," Alice said, "but Noah can't hear you or something. Just you leaving a message for voicemail and then nothing. But I can hear you just fine. Are you ignoring him or something?"

There was a brief pause on Robin's end. "I guess you could say that."

"Um, okay." Alice said with a slow nod, still not fully understanding the situation. "Do you still want us to come over?"

"…Sure." Robin said. There was another pause, and then Robin hung up.

Alice stared at the phone and then handed it back to Noah. She gave a frustrated sigh but motioned to the passenger seat next to her. "I guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet on this one and see if you're telling the truth. I don't know what's going on between you and Robin, but whatever it is I hope you sort it out."

"Thank you." He looked weary, but under the light of the lampposts, she could see a smile come across his lips. She felt it was genuine, heartfelt, and sincere.

_Why? _Alice thought, wracking her brain for answers. _There's something going on here, something he's hiding, but I can't see it. I can always tell when someone's putting on their best poker face, but this kid… _

She shook her head when Noah entered through the passenger door and buckled himself into the seat. He looked slightly distressed, but Alice couldn't figure out why. As far as she could tell, Robin seemed to be fine. Neither Matthew nor Nathaniel was there, something Noah claimed to be as fact. Why was there such a disparity here? More than that, why did it seem as if Noah couldn't hear Robin? Was she really ignoring him or was there something else?

With a grim look, Alice shifted her car into drive and released her foot off of the brake. She headed for the home of Robin Tesla.

**! ! !**

Given the fact that Glasswater was a relatively small town to begin with, Robin's home really wasn't all that far away. It took a few twists and turns to get there past Noah's apartment complex, but still, it was close. Even so, Noah knew the chances of him coming across it by happenstance were incalculably slim, and his running across Alice was almost certainly like some kind of bizarre miracle.

Looking back on it, Noah didn't know what he had been thinking, running out into the cold that late at night. He had virtually no idea where Robin lived and a part of him was very well aware of that, even as he went sailing out of the door and running down the sidewalks. Something had lit up inside of him, driving him to do crazy, impossible tasks.

_Was this really just a coincidence? _Noah thought.

Alice's car crawled slowly down the street. She maneuvered through the tight lanes with ease, and after a little while, her car eventually came to a stop next to a curb. From the looks of things, there was no Matthew and there was no Nathaniel. Her fingers began drumming on the leather of her steering wheel as she threw a glance at Noah. She made a slightly disappointed face and heaved her shoulders up.

Noah was silent, his eyes locked onto Robin's home.

Alice turned off her car's lights and turned to face Noah more directly. "I don't know if this is some kind of prank you're playing on me or if this is Robin and Matt pranking you, but… I really just hope this isn't any of you wasting my time."

Alice opened her car door and stepped out onto the path leading up to Robin's front door. She looked over her shoulder at Noah whose eyes were planted firmly onto Robin's home. Alice rolled her eyes and briskly walked up the path, approaching the front door. When she got there, she stepped onto the welcome rug and rung the doorbell. She heard the tone echo throughout the household as she tapped her foot and waited, looking back at Noah with a blank look on her face. Frankly, Alice didn't know what to make of Noah's lack of responsiveness and she wasn't willing to risk wasting any more time finding out. She could get her answers straight from Robin's parents and find out what was going on.

It took a little while, but someone came and answered the door.

A professional looking businesswoman answered the door, her eyes slightly sunken. Presumably, Alice guesstimated that it was from a long night of work with little to no reprieve. She would try to make this as short as possible. After all, it wasn't like Alice particularly wanted to be there either.

"Hey! Um, I don't know if you remember me, but—"

"Yes," The woman said curtly, "Alice, if I remember. What is it?"

"Oh! Cool!" Alice laughed awkwardly. "I was just wondering if you knew where—"

"No, I don't." The woman said. "Frankly, I don't have the time to bother looking for her. I assume she's sleeping over at someone's house without my permission, as is customary for that ungrateful child. Is there anything else you'd like to know? I think I've had enough children wasting my time for one night."

"Er, no. That's great, thanks!" Alice spun around briskly and nearly jogged to her car, but she caught herself and threw a quick, "Sorry!" over her shoulder. The woman merely shook her head and shut the door behind her.

Beet-red in the face and fuming, Alice stomped to her car with the surliest expression Noah had ever seen. When she was within arm's reach of Noah's passenger door, she grabbed the handle and yanked it open, moving to the side as she did so.

Silent, yet firm, Noah unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped from the car onto the sidewalk. Without another word, Alice shook her head in disgust and circled around the front to the driver door. Just before entering, she gave Noah one last hard look whose back was turned to her, his eyes apparently still set on Robin's home. Alice gritted her teeth though she stayed her tongue, but before she could get into her car, Noah turned around and looked at her hopelessly.

"I'm sorry." Noah said.

Noah's candid apology caught Alice off guard, but she decided that she had had enough of underclassmen wasting her time for one night. With a grunt, Alice nodded sharply and threw herself into her car seat. It was only a few minutes but in a short while, Alice had gone, leaving Noah alone in front of Robin's household.

**! ! !**

On the short trip to Robin's home, Noah had felt something build up deep within the pits of his stomach. It hit him first when Alice had rolled up next to him and now that he was here, alone, in front of what should have been Robin's home, it had built to a crescendo.

This was not Robin's home.

* * *

**Social Links (new!):**

_Fool (The Team): 1  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 1  
Emperor (Griffith): 1  
Priestess (Lucia): 1  
_**(!)**_ Strength (Alice): 0 + 1 = 1  
Tower (Seth): 2  
Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 1_


	10. Chapter 10, Light up the Dark

**Author's Note: **This chapter ended up being really, really long. I was against cutting it because I didn't want to split Robin's dungeon into two chapters, but I might have to reconsider. Jordan, one of the reviewers, also brought up something really interesting. I had already been thinking about it before his mentioning it, but he definitely has a point. If anyone else's noticed that my 'teenagers' don't exactly talk like people that are supposed to be 17 - 19, I apologize! I think I get carried away when I write dialogue and I write _everyone _the way I would probably talk (a college student, for clarification), which isn't how you should write characters. I'm trying to change up the dialogue, simplifying sentences and chopping off unnecessary bits, but if it still seems like the problem persists don't hesitate to let me know. Thank you for sticking around, and please enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 10 – Light up the Dark

It was a cold night in the small town of Glasswater. An icy chill swept through the streets with reckless abandon, sending man and mouse alike scurrying into warmer abodes. Precious few dared to brave the cold this late into the night, and most had already retreated into the safety of their homes and beds.

Noah Scofield stood alone. Though he wore a jacket to warm himself against the freezing temperatures, it was thin, and on the whole it did little to protect him. Stone faced and deathly silent, Noah stepped onto the sidewalk adjacent to Robin's home and stopped just shy of the small wooden gate barring his entry. He reached over onto the other side and searched for the latch. Once he felt it between his fingers, he unclasped it and pushed the gate open. It barely made any noise as it swung in a smooth arc.

Feeling suddenly ill, Noah pulled out his cell phone. According to the time on the display, it was a quarter past 12 in the morning. That was the correct time here, in the real world. He had a sinking feeling that once he stepped into Robin's home—or rather, what should have been Robin's home—the clock on his phone would cease to function properly. It was less of a guess and more of an intuitive feeling. Somehow, Noah just _knew_.

The row of homes on Robin's street was built down a very slight slope, curving and twisting as it descended further down the road. Some of the lights in the neighborhood were still on, even at this early hour. Perhaps students were toiling away at schoolwork. Perhaps hardworking adults were up preparing for jobs that began early in the morning. Perhaps some people simply couldn't sleep. Whatever the case, this trend stopped dead in its tracks at Robin's home.

House, house, house, house, house.

Robin.

Simply put, there was no home. Noah stepped forward a little more, his face illuminated by a bright, neon sign that read: 'Robin Tesla'. His body was silhouetted by rows of dull, white lights perched on top of an arched entrance. Spanning the width of a normal household, there was a set of escalators. They were flanked on both sides by a set of rusty black steel handrails. Noah leaned forward in order to examine the escalators. An icy cold chill worsened by the night air shot straight down his spine as something eerie became apparent to him.

None of the escalators went back up. All eight of them went straight down.

This was a subway entrance.

Noah blinked and looked down at his hand. It failed to register for a little bit, but he realized that his hand was shaking violently. Noah gripped it with his other hand, but that, too, shook with a paralyzing fear. He could see his breath coming out of him in the night: white puffs that would come and go in an instant. With a weak moan, Noah fell on his bottom and sat at the top of the escalator. It took a tremendous amount of effort for him not to throw up right there and then. He counted himself lucky that he hadn't eaten anything for dinner.

The moving steps of the escalator continued to rotate downwards. Noah's feet skidded forwards and backwards as he sat on the steel platform just before the moving steps. He gathered his thoughts and his courage as he tried to come up with a game-plan amidst his constant stomach-churning and his overactive imagination.

_Fuck! _Noah thought. He kicked out at the metal plates on the sides of the escalator. _Why didn't you wait for me, Matthew? Goddamn it! _Noah was aware of the fact that Matthew wasn't in his right state of mind, but he had no idea that Matthew would actually go and take the plunge by himself. He knew just as well as Noah did what it was like in the alternate world. Why would he take the risk in going alone?

It hit Noah like a torrent of hail.

_Nathaniel. _Noah looked over his shoulder towards the sidewalk, his eyes wide. No one was there, but he couldn't be too careful. He remembered that Nathaniel had shown up during his phone call with Matthew. At that point, Matthew had hung up. _Is Nathaniel still here? _Noah wondered. _Or… _

Noah stared down the escalator, his lips slightly parted.

_Could Nathaniel have gone down with Matthew? _

Noah wasn't sure what to think. Was such a feat even possible? To his knowledge, the only people with Personas were himself and Matthew. Noah didn't know if anyone else was even capable of wielding a Persona besides them. He recalled the bizarre phone call he and Alice had shared with Robin. Why could Alice hear her yet he could not? He knew that Robin had been ignoring them on purpose for the past week, but he sincerely doubted that she would take it to those extremes. No, there was something else was going on. There had to be.

He couldn't afford to waste any more time. Noah didn't know what he was going to do once he was down there. He didn't know where Matthew was, or Nathaniel. He still felt that he wasn't prepared, mentally or physically. It mattered little, but he was dressed in a combination of sleeping clothes and a hooded jacket pulled over. It wasn't like it would matter what he would look like after he was maimed by monsters. In the case of slaughtered corpses, people generally tried to forget them.

Noah clenched his teeth. It was time to stop putting off the inevitable. He stepped onto the escalator steps and allowed himself to be taken into the abyss.

**[] [] []**

It was obvious going in, but this wasn't a regular subway station. Hailing as a youth from the western coast, Noah had little experience in dealing with underground transportation systems. He knew that they were a staple in cities like New York and London and he had also seen then in countless movies at the theater, but he had never actually experienced one firsthand.

Once Noah had touched down to the base floor of the escalators, a metallic gate screeched shut behind him, barring his one and only known exit. There was no going back. Until he found Matthew, Robin, or possibly Nathaniel, he wasn't going to be able to escape back up the escalators. At the very least, Noah had a good idea of what had to be done here. The setting was completely different and there were undoubtedly more lives at stake compared to before, but he concluded that the situation he was entangled in was tangentially related to Matthew's nearly a week ago.

Noah pulled out his cell-phone and glanced at the digital clock on the face. As expected, the time was locked at 12:00 AM. This was exactly how things had appeared at the alternate Glasswater High School.

He allowed himself to breathe a small sigh of relief. He may have been alone, afraid, and confused, but things were different now. He had a sense of direction. He had a good idea of what he should come to expect next.

To say nothing of the coursing power residing within him.

Calmly, Noah placed a hand over his chest. _Persona. _There was no reason to bring Odin out just yet, but just knowing that he was there imbued Noah with unfathomable spirit. There were so many questions he could ask about all of it. Odin was a Norse God. Not only that, but he was easily one of the most powerful, if not _the_ most. Noah couldn't say that he knew a lot about Norse mythology. Over the years he had been privy to bits and pieces here and there, but he had never bothered to sit down and study it thoroughly. Indeed, he had little reason to.

Now, though, he had to admit that he was intensely curious. Why Odin? Why him? Why Noah? There was an exhaustive plethora of questions that Noah could ask, but for some odd reason, he was at peace. There was little desire in him to seek further knowledge. It was as if he knew everything, though he truly knew nothing. Noah thought that was peculiar.

_Maybe I could ask Igor or Faith the next time I pay a visit to the Velvet Room. _Noah thought. _They might know something. _

So lost was Noah in his doldrums that he failed to notice the entryway point coming up just ahead. He looked up and stared at a ticket booth standing in the middle of the hallway. On the left was a locked metal gate that read 'exit' at the top. To the right of the booth was a locked metal gate that read 'entrance'. The blinds appeared to be shut. No light appeared to be on within. As to be expected, it was completely deserted.

Cautiously, Noah approached the booth while casting furtive glances over his shoulder and at the exit and entrance gates. He came to the booth operating desk and hesitantly laid his hands on the surprisingly well-maintained wood. Leaning forward and cupping his hands around his eyes, Noah tried to peek into the booth through the blinds. He couldn't see anything.

_Hold on…_ Noah stopped. He stepped back and looked at the gates, the walls, the booth, and the lights. Now that he was paying closer attention to his surroundings, he noticed that the state of the alternate reality he was in was in significantly higher condition than the alternate Glasswater High School. Light coming from the ceiling bounced off of the polished granite tiles of the subway floor. Unlike the metal gates surrounding the entrance at the top of the subway station, the gates here were shiny and clear of rust. The ticket booth—though foreboding in appearance—was spotless and free of any apparent damage.

It was bizarre. Everything was in unexpectedly tip-top shape.

_Weird. _Noah thought. _Not really liking the looks of this, but I guess it's nicer than creaky floorboards and fucked-up cafeterias. _

Noah ventured a knock on the window pane of the booth. "Hello?" He called out through the communication slits. "Anybody home?" He paused and waited. Nothing happened.

How was he going to get through the—

The blinds opened.

Noah screamed as he recoiled in horror. The blinds rose up in a flash, revealing absolutely nothing. The booth was still pitch black. A shiver ran up Noah's spine as he squinted. There were multiple light sources coming from the ceiling. The glass didn't seem to be one way, so why wasn't he able to see into it?

Using his cell-phone as an impromptu flashlight, Noah bumped up its brightness to the absolute maximum and pressed it up against the dark glass. Still, he could see absolutely nothing.

How was he supposed to get through the entrance gate? There was a heavy padlock on the handle and there was no way he could—

_Odin. _Noah's eyes widened. Why hadn't he thought of it before?

"P…" He felt like a fool, but he knew he had to try. "Persona!"

Warm, familiar blue flames licked at the edges of Noah's feet. Noah held a hand out as a semi-transparent tarot card materialized out of thin air. He watched it spin for a moment before he crushed it in one smooth movement. Odin appeared at his side not a millisecond later, a spear in one arm and the other hidden beneath his toga. Noah gave his Persona a wary smile. Odin, however, did not respond in kind. Noah's persona didn't say a word; it just levitated in mid-air, dutifully awaiting Noah's command.

"Not the talkative type, huh?" Noah probed. He thought about that for a second, and then laughed. "Guess you and I are more alike than I thought… I think I like it better that way."

He set his eyes on the lock to the entrance gate. "Odin." His Persona readied its weapon, both hands firmly gripping its spear. "Break the lock."

Odin hovered forward and reared back. There was a pause, and then it surged forward, the tip of the spear aimed directly at the center of the padlock.

To his surprise, the spear rebounded. Noah's eyes narrowed as he stepped back, his Persona mimicking his movement. It had happened in the blink of an eye, but he had seen it all. Odin never actually made physical contact with the lock; there was a force invisible to the naked eye protecting it. Some kind of barrier prevented Odin from making a dent. Noah folded his arms and hummed thoughtfully. His eyes went from the lock to Odin, then to the ticket booth.

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

Inside of the ticket booth he could see some kind of bizarre, three-dimensional space. The whole of the ticket booth was still standing. Now, though, there was something inside.

Noah moved to the left, then to the right. He was reminded of gimmicky, 3D photos that would move and change depending on where you stood. The effect here was similar. The only difference was that there was no flickering or blinking associated with transposition in 3D imaging. The visual space he could observe was solid and did not waver no matter where he stood, and it was like looking at a singular, square spot.

There was a partial sidewalk corner. Weeds and cracks ran wild and unattended throughout the uneven cement. A decaying building stood in the background. Part of the building was cut off due to the size allotted within the space of the ticket booth, and the same went for the corner of the sidewalk.

All of these things did not go unnoticed by Noah, but one object in particular drew much of his attention. He pressed his face and fingers up to the glass.

There was a girl sitting on the corner. She was young, much too young to be alone. Though her face was hidden in her arms, her hair was unkempt and ruffled. Her small, shivering body trembled with silent sobs. Noah could see a small mug in one of the child's hands. A handful of loose pocket change jingled forlornly inside of the cup. A hastily scribbled dollar sign obscured what appeared to be a picture of a statue on the mug.

_Is this… Robin? _Noah thought.

The girl looked up and wiped streams of tears running down her dirty face. Noah looked at her bright, green eyes. There was no mistaking it. Although she was much younger than the Robin he was familiar with, it was definitely her. There was a certain kind of fierceness in her eyes. She was broken and battered, but she was not beaten. Noah tapped on the glass. It wasn't like he was expecting a reaction, but he knew hazarding a try wouldn't hurt.

Robin bolted up. Coins she had collected over the hours went spiraling out of the cup in all sorts of different directions on the sidewalk. Robin didn't seem to care. Fear had replaced the depression in her eyes. Her pupils dialed back as she took a shaky step backwards, away from some towering figure whose shadowy frame soon blocked Noah's field of vision. The figure made some rough movements before moving to the side. Noah could see that the man had a vice grip on Robin's arm. She struggled to break free, but there was little point in her efforts. He was too strong, too large, and she was no match. Robin leaned in and bit down hard on the man's hand. The man was visibly affected by Robin's retaliation, and her attack was met with a swift, firm, backhand.

The little girl tumbled down the sidewalk. Half of her body was hidden, out of the frame of the ticket booth. She wasn't moving.

It was futile, but Noah pounded on the glass frame with clenched fists. Sheer emotion and will powered Noah's Persona as it wildly thrashed against the booth with its spear. In the heat of the moment, all Noah could think about was ripping to pieces the man who had laid a hand on Robin. Bloodlust pumped like molten lava in his veins. In that moment, he would have liked nothing more than to beat the man in the booth to a pulp.

The man stepped to the side and fiercely hauled Robin up onto her feet. He shook her awake and began to drag her away.

As the memory playing within the ticket booth began to darken, so too did the atmosphere of the subway tunnel. The lights dimmed until they were a weak yellow. The polished tiles padding out the walkways cracked apart and faded. The metal gates that had stopped Noah and Odin just moments ago corroded with rust and age in seconds. The padlock fell away without so much as a whisper. Maps and advertisements in glass display cases yellowed and peeled away.

Noah turned slowly and watched as the subway station began to undo itself before his very eyes. The true nature of where he was came bubbling to the surface like a corpse that had lost all the air in its lungs. Robin was waiting for him somewhere, deep within the labyrinth of this wretched place. There was question that she was lost and confused. He and Matthew had tried their hardest to stop Robin from getting involved with whatever terrible nightmare they had become entangled in, but it was clear now that their efforts had gone to complete waste. Either way, she was going to end up in the same position as the two of them.

With a bit of effort, Noah managed to tear himself away from the booth. He stomped over to the gate and kicked it open. Odin carved his own path through.

Whatever was waiting for them, they were ready.

**[] [] []**

Noah's feet thudded against the floor with loud, confident steps. To the naked eye, Odin was invisible. All Noah had to do, though, was say the word and Odin would have appeared at his side in the blink of an eye.

_I don't even know where I'm going… _Noah thought grimly. _The deeper I go, the better, I guess. _

He turned a corner and nearly stumbled over his own feet.

From around the corner a black, formless shape hurtled towards him.

"Odin!" Noah panicked. His Persona appeared in front of him and effortlessly sliced through the creature with ease. The two halves of the black object landed at Noah's opposing sides. He gritted his teeth together and looked onwards. They were coming from the cracks in the floor, from the lights in the ceiling, from everywhere where there might be space to enter from. Some of the creatures had red, tiny dots for eyes. Others wore masks of various colors. Noah looked over his shoulder at Odin who stood unperturbed by the creatures amassing around them, like a breath of cool air in the middle of a sauna.

Noah focused his will and imagined the shape of a tarot card. Palm open and arm extended, he opened his eyes and smirked when he saw it appear in his hand. This was power. Power he could use, power he could manipulate, power he could use to save Robin. With it, Noah's potential was limitless. He eyed a particularly courageous creature that leered at him from the center of the growing crowd. The card in his hand shattered to pieces and Odin swept in from above, ripping the front row of black shapes to pieces.

He sucked in air and dug his feet into the floor, adopting a defensive position. "Persona!" Noah yelled. Odin twirled his spear overhead and slammed the butt of the weapon down into the earth. Cracks zig-zagged out from where the spear had struck the floor. A chill ran down Noah's spine as the light in the tunnel dimmed. Shards of lightning arched from seemingly nowhere, reducing several of the creatures barring his path to ashes.

For whatever reason, Noah felt himself growing somewhat tired. Odin was the one doing all of the attacking, yet somehow he felt like some of the energy in his body had left him.

_Igor said that my Persona was a physical manifestation of my soul, or something close to that. _Noah rationalized. _If he's telling the truth—and there's no reason why he wouldn't—then that would have to mean that everything I tell Odin to do feeds off of my blood. That's… that's the limit. It's my life. _

As Noah mulled carelessly over the costs of casting spells with Odin, one of the creatures behind him leapt up with teeth bared and claws outstretched. Noah turned and his eyes widened. Time came to a standstill. There was virtually no time to call for Odin. He was going to die. Noah's lips parted as the creature's razor-sharp claws came just inches from his eyeballs.

"Persona!" A voice cried out.

And the shadow was no more.

The only problem with this was that the word hadn't come from Noah's lips. They had come from someone else's. A smile came over Noah's face as the realization dawned on him.

"Matthew!"

Out of the darkness, Matthew appeared wielding a tired grin on his face and a beat-up baseball bat in his hands. Balder hovered at his side, arms crossed and lips set in a firm line. Noah could hear the chains weaving throughout Baldur's body clinking against his metal suit.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." Noah said, eyeing Matthew's odd choice of weapon with a lopsided grin.

Matthew laughed. "Tell me about it." He noticed Noah looking at his weapon and he tapped it against the wall. Dents and black smudges littered the wood of the bat, and it looked like it had seen its fair share of use. There was a signature near the handle, but it was partially obscured by what Noah assumed to be the creature's blood.

"This isn't exactly mine." Matthew admitted sheepishly. "This is actually Robin's favorite bat. It's signed by, um…" He held the signature close to his face, his eyes narrowing. He shook his head and made a face as he let the bat fall to his side. "Shit, I can't read it anymore."

"Robin's going to be really pissed off at you." Noah remarked as he stifled a laugh.

"Probably." Matthew chuckled as he shouldered the bat. His expression suddenly darkened as he turned around. The number of creatures gathering around them hadn't lessened while they spoke. Indeed, they had taken the opportunity to increase their ranks. Some of the creatures had merged with others to form larger, more imposing monsters. Others preferred to pull and push near the front of the crowd as they circled the two young men and their Personas. Noah stepped backwards and bumped into Matthew as the crowd of creatures slowly advanced on their position. He looked over his shoulder at Matthew with raised eyebrows.

"Got my back?" Noah prompted.

"I got yours if you got mine." Matthew nodded as he turned to face the other half of the crowd. He readied his bat as if he were about to knock out a home-run. A tarot card appeared in front of him instead. Noah shook his head and chuckled as he held out his hand and readied his own tarot card.

"Persona!"

**[] [] []**

"Where the hell is that kid?"

Robert fumed as he strode up and down the living room, kicking a random assortment of objects out of his way as they came into contact with the tips of his toes. Catherine sat on one of the kitchen chairs holding her face in her hand as she dialed Noah's number for the umpteenth time in a row. A variety of adjectives could have been used to describe her feelings in that moment. Confused. Worried. Scared.

Strands of brown hair swept over her eyes as she passed a hand over her face. "You said he had to help a friend?" Catherine asked as she set the phone down and looked out the window.

"Yeah, that's right." Robert spat. "Little shit took me out while I was unaware and he just up and leaves the house." He turned to face Catherine and pointedly jabbed a finger at the floor. "_This _is why I didn't want to take that fucking kid in. _This _is why I didn't think kids were a good idea in the first place. You don't have any experience. You don't know what raising a kid's like. Then your sister calls you in the middle of the night and asks you to take Noah in and you say yes without even asking for my opinion? Goddamn it, Catherine! Goddamn it to hell!"

"I…" Catherine started weakly. "I work at a daycare center…"

"That doesn't prepare you for shit like this!" Robert chastised. "Taking care of a couple of kids for a day versus taking care of what's virtually a grown young man for months are two very different things. You can't compare them. You shouldn't compare them. It's stupid."

Catherine's head dropped as she tightly gripped the edges of her seat. She had no words for her husband since he had a point. She really didn't know what she was getting herself into when she took in Noah. The two of them had not had a child, and for good reasons. This was one of them. Catherine didn't get to spend time with Noah often, and when she did she always cherished the moments.

From the few times Catherine had had the opportunity to interact with him physically, she had been under the impression that Noah was a well-mannered, well-behaved young boy who knew enough about how things worked to not to get himself into too much trouble. Noah assaulting Robert and leaving the house without a word struck her as crass, impolite, and completely uncharacteristic. What was so important to him that he had to attack his uncle and leave in the middle of the night? What kind of event necessitated that kind of behavior? What had happened to the young, innocent boy she had bounced on her lap and fed pudding and spaghetti?

When it was all said and done, however… Robert's words hurt. They sunk deep like a knife into her heart. Robert was still intoxicated, and so it went that he became blissfully ignorant of the effect his words were having on her. Catherine bore with it. Their relationship was rocky, incredibly so, but deep down she still loved him. They had not always been so difficult with each other. There had been times when they spent the days courting across town like young lovers usually do.

"When that kid comes back," Robert murmured dangerously, "I'm going to give him hell. He's going to wish he'd never fucked with me."

"Can't you give him a break? Just this once?" Catherine pleaded. "He must be frustrated. It's a part of growing up. He's coming of age."

"You listen and you listen well." Robert said, giving her a look that made her want to curl up into a ball and hide under her blankets. "I'm not going to sit back and put up with any of his 'rebellious phase' bullshit. He's going to learn why you don't fuck with me in my own home. Others might show him a little mercy but I'm not going to be so lenient. His ass is going to hurt once I'm through with him. You understand that?"

She avoided eye contact.

"And if he ever pulls that kind of shit on me again," Robert warned, "his ass is going straight out the front fucking door. He's lucky I'm even letting him stay here in the first place and he hits me? Fuck that. Fuck that. _Fuck that_."

"I'm sure he has his reasons." Catherine replied unsteadily.

"Yeah, reason enough to take me out with a solid right hook." Robert laughed darkly.

"I don't understand why we can't just go out and look for him or call the police." Catherine said. "Glasswater isn't a very big town. I'm sure we'll find him eventually if we start looking."

"Hell no." Robert shook his head. "I'm not going to let you freeze your ass off in this shitty weather for the sake of that little punk. He'll come back on his own, don't you worry about that. And that's _if _he decides to come back, mind. You never know with these rebellious types, they think the world revolves around them or something. Tough shit. It's about time he learned better. 'Sides, you and I both have work early in the morning. You want to risk a paycheck for some kid?"

"But what if he doesn't come back?" Catherine said. "What if he—" Realizing what she had just said, she shut her mouth and let her eyes fall to the floor.

Robert laughed bitterly. He tapped the side of his head and gave her a smug smile. "Now you're thinking with your noggin. What _if _he doesn't come back? Who's going to be held responsible?" Robert didn't answer. It was a rhetorical question. Both of them knew the answer, but the harsh truth of the matter was that only one of them really cared.

Not a word passed Catherine's lips. As far as he was concerned, Robert had won the argument. At a loss as to what to say, Catherine simply buried her chin into her chest and wiped the tears from her eyes. Robert's hardened features softened for just a moment as he made a move to go to her, but he stopped himself. Shaking his head in disgust—whether at himself or at Catherine he wasn't quite sure—he stomped off to the bedroom.

He was much too full of alcohol and pride to go back on his word now.

**[] [] []**

"Persona!" Noah yelled, strained.

Odin side-stepped, narrowly avoiding a small shard of ice that sailed past and struck the floor below him. Already prepared for the counterattack, he took his spear and struck down the last creature of the crowd that had surrounded them just minutes ago. Panting with exhaustion, Noah wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Matthew who had sunk to his knees. They fought for a long while, the torrent of monsters almost never-ending. It had taken them a great deal of effort, but at the end of it all, they emerged victorious. Noah fell on his bottom and gasped as he swallowed huge chunks of air.

"This is freaking exhausting." Noah breathed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I don't even fight them but I feel like I just ran a hundred miles."

"I've got a theory about that." Matthew replied. Now, Matthew was laying flat on the floor, angel-spread among many of the creatures he had slain. He raised a finger as he was about to speak, but he seemed to think better of it and rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. "Actually, um, never mind."

Noah gave him a look and sighed. "What is it?"

"Well, er, have you ever played like… RPG games or stuff like that?"

He had to think about it. Noah didn't play games often. They had certainly devoured vast amounts of his time when he was younger. As he grew older, Noah discovered that he had less and less time to dedicate to them as other responsibilities heaped themselves up on top his free time. "I can't say that I have." Noah said. "Or at least, nothing that I can remember."

"Okay." Matthew said. "Well, it's like… how should I put this? Have you ever played games where your characters have HP bars and MP bars?"

Nostalgic memories of him as a child cooped up in the bathroom playing games or hiding under the covers with a flashlight bloomed in his mind. Noah nodded and rested his head against the wall. "Actually, now that I think about it, yeah, I do."

"Then you probably know where I'm going with this, but I'll explain anyways." Matthew said. "Our Personas are tied directly to us, right? Like, if your Persona got scratched then you'd feel that."

"Yup." Noah agreed. "It sucks."

"You don't have to tell me that." Matthew laughed. "But anyway, as I was saying… whenever we tell our Personas to do something, I think it's like they borrow their strength from us when they do their attacks. Let's say we have HP bars and MP bars, or, health points and mana points respectively. If Odin did a thunder attack, I think that'd take away points from your MP pool. Alternatively, if Odin killed one of those monsters with his spear, I think that'd take away points from your HP pool."

Noah concentrated on Matthew's words, and then nodded. "Make sense." The more he thought about it, the more he realized the dual-nature of using Personas as a weapon and the more it made sense. Something else occurred to him and he felt anxiety start to take a hold as it did. "So if I understand your theory correctly, does that mean using too many physical attacks with Odin could actually kill me?"

Visibly, Matthew recoiled. He waved his hands frantically and propped himself up on his elbows. "Um, not directly. I think once your HP gets low, Odin just won't have the ability to attack with his spear anymore. I think it's worth mentioning that you want to be careful during a fight. You ought to be using a balance of physical and magical attacks when you're fighting, seeing as you have the ability to do both."

"Alright." Noah said. He looked at Matthew and cocked his head curiously. "Looks like all that time spent playing video games actually did come in handy, huh?"

"Don't mock me!" Matthew complained. "I'm just trying to look out for the two of us."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm just teasing." Noah laughed. He looked thoughtful for a moment and tipped his nose at Baldur. "What about you? How are you supposed to fight with Baldur? I didn't exactly get a chance to watch you fight."

"Physically speaking," Matthew observed, "Baldur isn't much. His strengths lie in magical attacks. I have to admit, I'm kind of jealous. Odin seems pretty good at both of those."

"Well, we didn't pick out Personas and we didn't pick what they'd be good at." Noah said. "Luck of the draw I guess."

"I'll tell you what's lucky." Matthew said as he raised the bat up. "Bringing this thing with me. Baldur can only cover for me so much. I don't want to jump to conclusions and say this weapon's as effective as he is, but it definitely packs a hell of a punch."

"You know what'll really pack a punch?" Noah smiled. "Robin when she finds out what you did to her bat."

The joke elicited a small, sad smile from Matthew, rather than the laugh Noah was expecting. He looked over at Matthew. "Are you worried?"

"…Yeah," Matthew said after a little while, "'course I am. But it'd be stupid if we blindly rushed into this without thinking. This isn't a game. We don't have infinite stamina." While he sat on the floor, he extended his leg and started stretching. "At the same time, that means we don't actually have HP or silly limitations like that. As long as we check ourselves every now and then and manage our energy, we should be able to finish this thing and get Robin the hell out of here."

"Sounds like a plan." Noah agreed. "You know, I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"You got your Persona once you faced your Shadow, right?"

"That's right." Matthew nodded slowly.

"Well, going by that logic, wouldn't that mean that the same thing's going to happen to Robin once she faces hers?" Noah went on. "Think about it for a sec. After you and I dealt with your freaky-ass Shadow spider thing, you talked to your Shadow and in doing so, earned Baldur. That means—"

"—I really hope she doesn't." Matthew cut in.

Taken aback by Matthew's comment, Noah stopped. He opened his mouth, not sure how to follow up on that. Did Matthew not want Robin to face her shadow? Why on earth would he want that? "Um… are you sure you didn't mean…?"

"No, I meant exactly what I said I did." Matthew said bluntly. "If Robin gets a Persona, what do you think she's going to do? She's going to fight with us. That's going to put her squarely into the exact position we never wanted her to even _know about _in the first place. She's already in a crap-load of danger. If she started fighting with us and she got hurt, or worse, killed…" Matthew's voice cracked as his breath caught in his throat. He had to swallow to continue speaking normally. "If that happened, I don't know what I'd do. I've said this before and I still stand by it. I don't want her to get a Persona and I don't want her to fight."

"You might feel that way," Noah said, "but do you really think she's going to listen to you that easily? Robin's got a thick head. If you really don't want her to fight, it's going to take a lot of work… and even then I'm not sure if it'd be worth the effort. She's not going to be all, 'oh, yeah, good point Matt, guess I'll just sit this one out'. Robin's going to find a way to get out there whether you like it or not."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Matthew sighed in frustration as he pressed his face into his hands. "I think a part of me knows that it's inevitable and that I should just give up and let it happen but… fuck that, man. I'm going to stop her. I'm not going to let her kill herself over this."

"I'm sure Robin would be flattered." Noah smiled. "But she's a big girl. She can take care of herself."

"I doubt it." Matthew said. "But I guess we'll find out. You all rested up?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Noah said. "Let's go."

**[] [] []**

Their enemies had come in a dizzying array of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some looked like skeletal horses with eye sockets aflame. Others looked like twisted, nightmarish abominations that were impossible to describe with just words. They all had one thing in common though, and that was the fact that they were all trying their damndest to murder Noah and Matthew.

Winning a fight didn't always come easy to them, but each and every obstacle that barricaded them from finding Robin only served to strengthen their resolve. Each time they struck down the final opponent in a mob, the two teenagers had felt relief and experience washing over them. They were learning from these encounters, and they were growing stronger by and through the usage of their Personas. It was an experience neither of them would have chosen, but one they were certainly grateful for.

"That's the last one." Matthew grunted as he clubbed a small shadow's mask in half with his bat. The creature shrieked, and then disintegrated. "Man, I swear, this place never ends."

"We'll find her." Noah panted. He cracked his knuckles and laughed darkly. "We'll find her, even if it kills us! Hahaha!"

Matthew coughed and gave Noah a look. "Not sure if now's the best time to be making those kinds of jokes…"

"Whatever." Noah waved. "Now that I think about it, this place isn't really as bad as the alternate Glasswater High School. You… weren't awake for most of it. I don't even think you even saw most of it. But there was some weird stuff there. It was so weird that I threw up!" Noah proudly placed his hands on his hips and thumbs-upped Matthew.

"Too much info, dude." Matthew said with a look of disgust. He examined the hallway they were going down and cocked his head. "There isn't anything that weird about this place, is there? Besides the fact that it's ruined and decrepit—like a lot of subway tunnels, I bet—it's not all that bad."

"That'd be true," Noah chimed in, "if it weren't for the ticket booth near the entrance. Don't you remember that?"

"Huh?" Matthew said. "I… oh. Right."

"Did Robin ever tell you about any of that?" Noah asked, genuinely concerned. "That seemed pretty dark, and if Robin's keeping a past like that bottled up, I'm not looking forward to what her Shadow's going to be like."

"She hasn't." Matthew said in subdued fashion. His voice went quiet and he looked somewhat troubled as he thought about what he had seen in the ticket booth. "Honestly, I haven't known Robin all that long. And I'd be fooling myself if I thought I knew her any better than you did—"

"Wait." Noah cut in. "I'm confused. You've known her longer than I have. You should know her better than I do."

"That's just it." Matthew winced. "She's always butting into other people's business, trying to get on their good side and all that, but now that I think about it no one's ever really gotten to know her. And it's not like no one's really tried. I've tried. Seth's tried. Griffith's tried, I think. Every time I tried to ask her about what she was like as a kid, she just waved it off and steered the conversation in a different direction. It sounds weird, but she keeps to herself about stuff like that. I've never really thought about it before, but now that I am, it's worrying. I always assumed she was happy because that's the kind of air she puts on."

"Iit sounds like she's just gotten really good at putting on a fake smile," Noah remarked sagely.

"Yeah." Matthew sighed. "And I'm a freaking idiot for not noticing sooner."

"You're about on the same level as the rest of us." Noah smiled reassuringly.

Perception wasn't a skill that came particularly easy to everybody. Noah wasn't sure if he would have been able to pick up on Robin's constant need for secrecy faster than Matthew, but now that he was hearing about it straight from Matt, it was certainly strange. The proof was in the pudding when they had seen her memory playing inside the ticket booth. Whether Robin wanted to admit it or not, there were issues she had and probably still was dealing with. Now that it had reached this point, she was most likely dealing with them in the worst possible way imaginable: up in her face and way too close for comfort.

"We gotta' find her, man." Matthew said determinedly.

"We don't have much farther." Noah grinned as he noticed at a neon sign glowering above Matthew's head. He pointed to it and nodded his head. "Take a look."

Matthew looked above and gawked, open-mouthed, at the words.

Platform ROBIN: Ahead.

**[] [] []**

Running as fast as their bodies would allow them to, Noah and Matthew charged down the final stretch of hallway towards their goal. As they came closer to the subway platform, they could hear voices growing in volume. Matthew wielded his baseball bat with both of his hands and the word 'Persona' was on the tip of Noah's tongue. Both of them were ready to fight at a moment's notice. They were almost there.

And then they were.

Noah and Matthew broke onto the platform, the two of them almost tripping over each other in the process. Their eyes darted this way and that, attention on alert for Robin. She didn't appear to be on the walkway where passengers were generally supposed to be located. Noah saw benches, pillars, more ticket booths, but no—

"Robin!" Matthew yelled.

There she was. Noah's lips parted as he looked over the edge of the platform, down to where the tracks for the metro were located. Robin was there.

As was her Shadow.

Robin turned to face them, a look of genuine surprised etched deep into her face. "What the…" She began. Her eyes were red and she vigorously rubbed her face as she saw them come onto the platform. "What the hell!?"

"We're getting you out of here!" Matthew said. He dashed forward and was about to step off the platform. Noah reached out and tried to warn him, but he was too late. Matthew collided with an invisible barrier that blocked the platform from the tracks. The bat he was holding clattered to the ground as he slid to the floor, groaning in pain. Noah put his face into his palm and sighed.

Shadow Robin, obviously delighted by this, egged Matthew on with mocking laughter. The Shadow's trademark yellow eyes glowered with glee. "Hahaha! That was great! Again, again!"

"Shut it!" Matthew spat as he kicked the barrier. Noah could see small ripples of energy flow out from the point in which Matthew's foot had made contact.

The Shadow rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Matthew from behind the barrier. "Oh, yeah, big strong knight like you's gonna' come in to save your little princess, huh? Get real, bud."

"Don't you talk to him like that." Robin spat, venomously. She glared daggers at her Shadow. "You want someone to talk to, you talk to me."

"What's that?" Shadow Robin said as she leaned in. "Robin finally decided to take off the granny panties and start playin' like she's in the big leagues? You're shittin' me! Why, just moments ago, she was soilin' herself like a wet towel, cryin' her useless little heart out."

"Shut your mouth!" Robin cried. "You freakin' liar!"

"Persona!" Matthew yelled. Matthew's tarot card hovered in mid-air. He picked up his bat, leaned back, and swung forward. The card shattered into pieces as Baldur appeared at Matthew's side, dutifully awaiting his command. "You know what to do!"

Baldur raised a hand. A small ball of fire began to generate from within its palm, spinning and growing larger in size until Noah could see it practically begging for release. Obliging this, Baldur swept his hand to the side and let the fireball loose. It soared forward and struck the barrier with ferocity.

The barrier still stood.

"'S just me," Shadow Robin smiled, "or is this the greatest pyrotechnics show I've ever seen?"

Robin looked at Matthew, completely slack-jawed. Matthew looked down at her sheepishly and looked to Baldur. There was no denying the regality or the weirdness of his Persona. At first glance, the chains running parallel with his arms and legs coupled with the metal armor he wore might look bizarre. His gray skin and his silver, long hair would also draw odd looks. But there was an unmistakable sense of power and respect that Baldur commanded, and anyone could see that. Matthew would be the first to admit that he wasn't crazy about Personas and the kind of responsibilities that it entailed, but he was still proud of what his Persona represented. He could only imagine what it must have been to be in Robin's position. Seeing something like Baldur for the first time without any context or prior warning… there must have been little else to compare to an experience like that.

"You asshole!" Robin cried. "Are you using my favorite baseball batas a _weapon_?"

Clearly, those weren't the words Matthew had been expecting. Dumbfounded, Matthew turned to look at Noah who just shrugged and gave him a look that said, 'I told you so.'

"Er…" Matthew said, red in the face. "I'm sorry?"

Noah stepped forward and laid a hand on the barrier. He dragged it left and right, watching as it rippled from his touch. He glanced at Shadow Robin who fixed him with curious eyes.

"What?" Shadow Robin taunted. "You gonna' molest my barrier to death?"

"Come on, Noah." Matthew pressed. "Let's take this barrier down while we still have the chance."

"It won't work." Noah shook his head.

"You're damn right!" Shadow Robin laughed. "You're smart, kid. I like that. Stick around, maybe you'll get to see somethin' good." Shadow Robin's tongue ran across her lips and she offered Noah the most suggestive stare she could muster.

In a state of panic, Matthew grabbed Noah by his shoulders and shook him desperately. "Are you insane? To hell with that!" He pointed a finger at Robin. "She needs help, now. We can't wait!"

"You're free to try." Noah told him blankly.

"Damn it." Matthew muttered. "Persona!" Baldur opened his hands again and summoned more balls of fire to attack the barrier. Matthew aided his Persona by smashing the bat against the barrier. It rippled and shook and reverberated, but it didn't disappear. Noah knew, on instinct, that this would happen, but he wouldn't try to stop Matthew. He had to see for himself that Robin needed to face her Shadow. Nothing would be solved if she didn't.

"Check it out, Rob!" Shadow Robin said as she leered at Robin and watched Baldur's fireballs smack into the barrier. Robin shot her a look, but watched as Matthew tried desperately to break through. "Matt's tryin' real hard to get through to you. Physically _and _metaphorically! Ain't he a sweetheart?"

Robin had had just about enough of her Shadow's taunting, and she clamped her hands over her ears as she shook her head.

Shadow Robin smiled sweetly as she strode forward and cradled Robin's head in her arms, her long, black hair falling over Robin's. "Don't pretend like you're oblivious to what I'm sayin'."

Frantically trying to block out Shadow Robin's constant taunts, Robin started to mumble a constant flow of gibberish to herself. They both knew it wasn't working. One was distraught over this. The other, elated.

"Poor, lonely, little Robin." Shadow Robin sang. "Lost and hungry in the projects. City ain't kind to the homeless. Don't make any difference if you're young or old; if you can't hack it out there in the streets, it'll chew you up and spit you out like a wad of chewing gum."

"Please…" Robin pleaded. "Please, stop."

"Oh, Robin." Shadow Robin smiled as she stroked Robin's hair wistfully. "So full of pride. So full of courage. So full of youth and spirit." She grinned nastily, and then added, "And oh, so-very weak."

Shadow Robin stepped around Robin and hopped up onto one of the rails of the track, balancing herself on its slim width. "Robin's so tough. She's so hard-headed. She's so strong, so independent, so reliable." Shadow Robin laughed and shook her head as she swiveled around and started back towards Robin on the track. "But we both know that's a load of bullshit, don't we? You ain't strong at all. You're the same as everyone else, much as you'd like to think differently. You're a weak, pathetic, groveling, attention-seeking whore, aren't ya'? Aren't ya'?"

Robin's fists balled up against the dirt below the tracks. A small, choked sob rose up from deep in her throat.

"You fucking bitch!" Matthew roared, pounding the barrier with his fists. "I'm going to kill you once I break through your shield! Leave her alone!"

Shooting him a brief, but icy cold glare, Shadow Robin chose to ignore Matthew. Instead, she flagged Robin down with a hateful stare. "Yeah. This right here's the real Robin. Cryin' and beggin' for someone to save her scrawny ass." Shadow Robin shook her head in disgust. "You claim you don't want anyone's pity. You claim you want to stand on your own two feet and, and then you go and pull this shit? Gimme' a break. You're delusional."

"I…" Robin spoke up. "I can stand up for myself." Robin looked up and got to her feet in a feeble attempt to prove her Shadow wrong.

"Excuse me for bein' a skeptic," Shadow Robin said, "but you ain't exactly doin' yourself any favors. Your knees are shakin' like a tree caught the middle of a hurricane." Shadow Robin sneered and tilted her head. "Does it hurt you, Robin? To be vulnerable?"

Robin stood her ground, fists balled up, lips trembling.

"No parents growing up. No friends. No one to love, to cherish. It's a real sob story." Shadow Robin said. "The only life you knew growin' up revolved around orphanages and homelessness. But it ain't all bad, right? One day, you figured you got lucky and you got picked up and adopted by a nice lady who was lookin' to love and raise and nurture a cute little girl." Shadow Robin's lips curled upwards.

"She's got nothing to do with this." Robin muttered.

"You kiddin'?" Shadow Robin balked. "She's got everythin' to do with this. For a good, long while, you thought you had it good. But Ms. Heart o' Gold got bored. She sunk all those hours into spendin' time with you, playin' with you, feedin' you, raisin' you, and at the end of the day, she just decided she wasn't gettin' much out of it. But it ain't like she could just waltz back to the agency and drop you off like she was returnin' a DVD or damaged goods… nah, you were a child, a livin' creature. So she kept you. But she wasn't happy about it. Ain't no one here knows that better than you do."

Her fists were shaking and her body trembled with barely restrained rage, but Robin didn't answer to her Shadow. She didn't want to give her that satisfaction.

"And so the story goes." Shadow Robin continued. "You tried to establish that kind of connection with complete and total strangers as you grew up. You wanted to go back to the glory days with your foster parent, relive those experiences through others. But we both know that it's never been the same. No one can replace that feelin'. You tried your hardest to fight it, but you realized as you became older that you were never going to love someone ever again. You might be all smiles with your pals, but your heart's dead. Your soul's dead. You… _you're_ dead."

"Enough!" Robin cut her Shadow self off. A layer of sweat had formed on her brow and her eyes were wild, desperate. She looked much like Matthew did when he started denying his own Shadow. Her body shook with every word that had entered her ears and left her lips, and she was at the breaking point. "You ain't me! I'd never say that kind of crap! I'd never say any of that!"

"Oh, man," Shadow Robin moaned, her sickly yellow eyes pulsing brighter. "I can't even begin to tell you how good your denial tastes. The truth hurts, don't it?"

"I don't…" Robin said, strained. "I can't…"

"Don't. Can't. What does it matter?" Shadow Robin shrugged as she stepped off the track and sat down on the dirt besides Robin. She hugged her knees to her chest and smiled sweetly at Robin. "C'mon, on the count of three! One… two… three… now, all at once: I am you, and you are me!"

"Crawl into a hole and die." Robin whispered.

"Oooh!" Shadow Robin groaned, her arms encircling her waist as she trembled visibly from Robin's denial.

Noah could see the red aura that had surrounded Shadow Matthew growing around Shadow Robin. It was happening. If Robin kept this up, they would have to fight. Once that happened, there was no turning back. It'd be killed, or be killed. Noah glanced at Matthew, who at this point was practically stir-crazy.

Watching Matthew come through this place had been an interesting experience in and of itself. He had dropped practically all pretense of being the normally shy student that he normally was. Indeed, Matthew had traversed through Robin's subway tunnel with vibrancy and energy to spare. Was this a side-effect of his Persona, or was he just letting loose since the only people down here were his best friends? The shadows they had fought didn't seem to have affected him much. Was Matthew just not scared of them or was he confident that Noah would show up soon after? Noah would be lying if he said he wasn't worried. It was productive for all involved that Matthew wasn't being a coward about all this Persona and Shadow business, but at the same time, Noah hoped that he wasn't using this as an outlet to vent his frustrations. Later down the road, that could end up proving problematic.

"We look the same, we talk the same, hell, we probably even smell the same." Shadow Robin laughed sharply as she taunted Robin. "Come on, make my day little girl."

"You're not me." Robin hissed, clutching her head and staring at the ground. "Stop prancin' around with my face, my voice… stop pretendin' to be somethin' you're not!"

"Ain't that ironic?" Shadow Robin snickered as she licked her lips. "You positive about that?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely!" Robin declared, a hint of relief in her voice. Noah's heart lurched for her. Was she really naive enough to believe that this would all be over that easily?

"When I've crushed your throat and ripped your heart out of your ribcage," Shadow Robin threatened maliciously, her voice suddenly dead-serious, "just remember that you asked for it."

No one besides Noah was prepared for what came next. Shadow Robin's hair whipped up on an invisible wind, and then, an explosion. The blood red aura that had erupted around Shadow Matthew now encapsulated Shadow Robin. Her evil smile disappeared behind a fog of red mist and smoke. The tips of the aura turned into razor-sharp points, pulling and pushing until they came to a point above Shadow Robin's head, encapsulating her in a red, egg-shaped aura. Robin watched these sinister developments unfold with wide eyes and an open mouth. Matthew—who seemingly forgot that something similar had happened to him—was in a similar state of shock.

The egg contracted and expanded, pulsing like a beating heart. It was sickening, disgusting, gruesome, morbid, and fascinating all at once. This was the second time Noah was seeing this, but he knew that if he saw it a hundred times he'd still never get used to it.

It contracted one final time, becoming much too small for any normal human.

And then it exploded, giving birth to another terrible new nightmare.

"Get ready!" Noah warned.

Matthew slapped himself awake, picking his baseball bat up off the floor. Odin and Baldur appeared at their respective owner's sides, stoic and confident. The blast of red aura shattered the barrier separating them from Robin and her Shadow. Noah's jacket and jogging pants whipped roughly around his body. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Noah was ready to face Shadow Robin in her true form, but he was still terrified out of his wits.

A part of him wanted to run away and go back home. Denying that would be disingenuous.

In a few moments, the red aura slowly began to die down. The red mist settled onto the floor, content with licking at the soles of their shoes. Noah waved his hand and cleared away stubborn gobs of the mist hanging around in the air in front of him.

Almost instantaneously, Noah regretted doing so.

Shadow Robin rose to the height of the subway platform's ceiling and bared her fangs. The Shadow had taken on the form of a colossal rattlesnake, its scaly body littered with an outrageous assortment of random markings. Parts of Shadow Robin's scaly hide were like mirrors. Light that came into contact with it reflected into Noah and Matthew's eyes, giving off the impression that Shadow Robin's body was shimmering whenever it so much as twitched.

The worst part about it was the head. As had been the case with Shadow Matthew, Shadow Robin had chosen to retain Robin's appearance rather than taking on the natural form suggested by the rest of its body. The effect it had was entirely unnatural and gruesome. Where there should have been the head of a snake, instead, was the face of Robin. Her eyes were hollow and empty, and cracks ran all throughout her features. Her hair hung long and low, trailing across the ground while leaving a track of thick slime in its path. At first glance, her mouth looked to be untouched but that notion quickly went straight out the window once her jaw unhinged, mimicking the movement of a snakes. Two large, dripping, venomous fangs glistened in the glow of the subway's lights. Horrifyingly, the bottom row of Shadow Robin's mouth was still human: there was a healthy set of teeth lying below her fangs.

"Oh, God." Matthew whispered. "Help us."

"I am a Shadow." Shadow Robin droned. "The true self."

Its body contorted as its head brushed the ceiling.

"The power! The _power_! This is great! This is fantastic!" Shadow Robin's head snapped forward and it coiled downwards, encircling Robin's still form in seconds. Shadow Robin's eyes made eye contact with Matthew's as she did so, a wicked grin spreading on its lips.

" Odin!" Noah roared. He sprinted forward towards Shadow Robin, his form confident and unmoving. Odin appeared below him, his palms laced together. Noah stepped into Odin's hands and let himself be propelled into the middle of Shadow Robin's circular entrapment. A blue tarot card appeared in front of him and when he crushed it, Odin appeared in the middle alongside them.

"Rip her apart!"

As Noah ducked his head, Odin took hold of his spear and raised it up high above him. Shadow Robin didn't know how to handle all of this as it had occurred within the span of a few minutes, so she did what came natural to her. Her scaly body began to tighten, threatening to crush all three of them in moments.

Luckily for Noah and Robin, Odin was faster. Odin brought his spear down and jammed it into Shadow Robin's body, using his feet as an anchor to steady his aim. Using Shadow Robin's shrieking outcry as a signal to continue, Odin dragged his spear in a 360 degree arc, cutting Shadow Robin's body in one continuous line.

Shadow Robin screamed and expanded, taking the opportunity to escape further down the subway tunnel. Noah watched it flee and leave behind a trail of thick, black blood. The tracks past where they stood were not lit. Once they went after her in the tunnel, there would be no light to guide them. They would have to rely purely on instinct.

For the time being, he had to attend to Robin. He cupped her face in his hands and examined her withdrawn expression worriedly as Matthew scrambled off the platform and jumped down onto the tracks.

"Robin!" Matthew called. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Noah answered. "Robin? Robin, we're here. It's going to be okay. Can you hear me?"

Robin didn't answer. Her eyes were looking straight into his, but her pupils weren't moving. Noah sighed and nodded towards one of the benches up on the platform. "We need to get her up there while we deal with her Shadow."

Matthew walked to Noah and stared at Robin's face. He put a hand on her brow and pulled her bangs out of her face. Matthew looked distraught, almost as if he thought he were to blame for Robin's current state. Noah placed a reassuring hand on Matthew's shoulder.

"We need to get this done now."

Matthew seemed reluctant at first, but eventually, he nodded. Even in his distress he realized where the bigger threat was. "Alright. Let's get her up there."

"We'll get her." Noah grinned boldly. "She thinks she has the advantage, but you know what I think? I think she's done herself in."

**[] [] []**

"Those cocky brats!"

Every inch she moved caused her immense amounts of pain. Shadow Robin winced as she tried her best to avoid dragging her wound across the ground. Having taken on the body of a reptile, her natural healing process was accelerated. Aided by the powers related to being a Shadow, they increased tenfold.

Still, that didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch. How could she have been so careless?

_I should have slaughtered them while I had the chance. _

She had gone on long enough without stopping. Shadow Robin's pace slowed as she took this small window of opportunity to rest up and lick her wounds.

It was a mistake.

A ball of fire rocketed down the subway tunnel in her direction, illuminating everything in its path. Shadow Robin swore and moved to the side as it nicked her colossal body. The light given off by the fireball reflected off of her scales, casting a brief, but dizzying array of color across the tunnel. They knew where she was now.

The fight started now.

**[] [] []**

"There she is!" Matthew whispered urgently. "At the far end!"

"I saw her." Noah replied. "Be careful, Matt. We're relying on Baldur's fire to help us fight. If she takes you out, we're dead."

"That freak of nature isn't going to get me," Matthew snarled.

"Good." Noah said. "You're our seeing eye here. I don't think Shadow Robin needs anything special to see us. Aside from her natural ability to sense our warmth, I don't doubt that she has other means with which to single us out. Besides, this is a narrow corridor. She's got the advantage."

There was a loud hiss.

"Persona!" Matthew yelled. Baldur let loose another bright fireball. It didn't go far before flying right past Shadow Robin's gleaming fangs.

She was practically in their face, covering a great amount of distance in just a few short seconds.

"Shit!" Noah recoiled. "Persona!"

Odin quickly fired off a charged lightning bolt that singed the sides of Shadow Robin's face. Noah heard a sharp roar and he could hear the monstrosity coiling itself up for an attack.

"Matthew, the sides!" Noah warned. Hoping Matthew would take his lead, he quickly dashed left and squeezed himself against the wall, using Odin as a shield against Shadow Robin's constant thrashing. He just barely made it past as he felt the tip of Shadow Robin's tail smack the ground near his feet. He whipped around and held out his hand. "Matthew, another!"

He felt Matthew by his side and he blew a short sigh of relief. Matthew commanded Baldur to fire off another fireball. They watched it run across the back of Shadow Robin's body as she turned around. The fireball smashed straight into Shadow Robin's face, eliciting another terrible roar of pain and anguish. In the fading afterglow of Baldur's magic, Noah could see pieces of Shadow Robin's face melt off. She was falling apart.

"_ENOUGH!_" Shadow Robin cried. A massive blast of wind suddenly ripped through the subway tunnel sending Noah and Matthew tumbling to the ground. Noah clawed the dirt and managed to catch himself against a rocky protrusion sticking out of the wall.

"Matthew, gimme' a signal here!" Noah yelled, his voice in a state of panic as he desperately struggled to hold onto the wall.

Noah threw his gaze over his shoulder. Baldur appeared and cast a fireball from much farther down the subway tunnel. They were separated, but at least Matthew was safe. He monitored it as it neared his location and watched it sail just past his face.

To his horror, Shadow Robin was upon him, jaw unhinged, fangs bared, eyes gleaming with delight.

The collision didn't take long. Noah felt Shadow Robin's jaws wrap around his waist and his heart plummeted straight into his stomach as he quickly realized the outrageously dangerous position he was now placed in. He was, quite literally, nestled within the jaws of danger.

Shadow Robin wasn't screwing around anymore. Her mouth closed in on him. Noah screamed in agony as he felt one of Shadow Robin's fangs rip through his left arm. The other fang just narrowly avoided his body, sliding smoothly across his chest, tearing his clothes.

"Noah!" Matthew called. Noah turned his head and managed to spot Matthew firing what must have been a dozen fireballs at once. He felt the tremors caused by the impact as they slammed into Shadow Robin's body one by one in rapid succession. Shadow Robin shrieked and her jaw snapped open. Noah tumbled out from her mouth and landed with a heavy thud onto the floor.

A sickly groan gurgled out of his mouth. He felt like puking up all the organs inside of his body. Compared to Shadow Matthew's spider, Shadow Robin's venom was significantly more potent. His body felt nauseatingly lethargic and it took him an incredible amount of effort to even speak.

"P… Per… Persona…" Noah gasped.

He felt Odin scoop him up in his arms and mount a quick retreat. Wind caressed his face as he tried to get a hold of himself. He had tried not to pay attention to it before, but the pain in his arm only grew worse with time. A good chunk of his flesh had been ripped through and a part of him was morosely thankful that they were shrouded in complete darkness. He didn't know if he'd be able to handle the sight of his shredded arm.

"Noah, are you okay?" Noah heard Matthew calling from farther back up the tunnel. He could hear fireballs being set off left and right coupled with Shadow Robin's successive outbursts of pain and rage.

It was impossible to answer him. He was too weak. Matthew sounded tired.

Noah slipped out of Odin's grasp and he sank to his knees, breathing heavy and face caked in sweat.

Matthew was limited in his usage of Baldur's fireballs. Noah had to do something fast or they would both be in a huge amount of trouble.

"Robin!?" Noah heard Matthew yell incredulously.

Blearily, he set his eyes down towards the battle and watched as several fireballs careened down the subway tunnel. His heart nearly burst out of his chest when he caught brief, illuminated glimpses of Robin standing at the very far end. Fireballs that had missed Shadow Robin sailed past her body, her hair whipping up in the wind caused by their passage. Her fists were clenched at her sides and, even from where Noah was, he could tell that not a hint of fear shone in her eyes.

Robin was ready to face her Shadow. The only problem was that they hadn't dealt with it yet.

Noah watched as Matthew desperately commanded Baldur to fire off another fireball. It slammed straight into Shadow Robin's face as Baldur took the opportunity to use his other hand to grab Shadow Robin's tail and pin it down.

"Get out of here you idiot!" Matthew screamed.

Noah had to do something fast. "P… Persona!" He struggled to yell, let alone speak. Odin raised his spear beside Noah and charged up another spell, presumably another lightning bolt.

To Noah's surprise, it wasn't. A feeling of warmth and stillness began to course throughout his veins. He raised his hands and nearly vomited when he saw his skin, his clothes, his entire body glowing an unnatural greenish color. He looked straight ahead and saw flashes of Matthew courageously fighting Shadow Robin on his own, swinging his bat in one moment and having Baldur cast a fire spell in another.

In moments, Noah was recharged. He looked to where Odin was standing and chuckled softly. Why hadn't he considered the possibility of Personas possessing the power to heal before?

With renewed vigor, Noah charged down the subway with Odin in tow. He pulled his arm back as if he were going to punch someone, the tarot cart glowing in his clawed hand.

"Persona!" Noah yelled as he let his hand fly forward, tarot card pieces shattering and cascading into the floor.

Odin leaned back and sprinted forward with the tip of his spear aimed directly at Shadow Robin's face. Matthew's consistent inflow of fire spells allowed Odin to adjust his aim as was necessary and when he was upon the beast, he raised his spear overhead and stabbed it downwards.

A terrible, throaty roar tore through the subway tunnel as Shadow Robin stopped squirming. Odin dragged his spear further and further up Shadow Robin's body, buckets of murky black blood spurting onto Noah, Matthew, and their respective Personas. They were under the cover of darkness, but it didn't matter a bit at this point. Noah had Shadow Robin pinned down and there was no way he was letting her escape. Odin's spear went further and further up Shadow Robin's body until, finally, it broke free.

Now there was nothing but the sound of Noah and Matthew's heavy breathing.

The lights in the tunnel started to turn back on, one by one in quick succession from the subway platform entrance to where they were situated. Noah winced as they shined brightly into his eyes from overhead. The halves of Shadow Robin that had been there lying in a pool of black blood just moments ago had already begun to disintegrate into the same, fine powder as Shadow Matthew. Between the two halves lay Shadow Robin in her human form.

Robin wasn't far off. Noah eyed her worriedly, but she gave him a reassuring smile. He nodded anxiously and glanced at Matthew who looked to be on the verge of passing out. Noah couldn't blame him. He had used up more fire spells than he could count on all of his hands and feet. Considering that this had been Matthew's first foray into a labyrinth, Noah was impressed. Even without that knowledge, he still would have been.

"Matt," Noah called out to him, "how are you holding up dude?"

"Exhausted…" Matthew panted, sucking in air.

"Rest up bud," Noah said as he stood up. "You earned it."

Matthew extended his thumb into the air and then let it fall to the ground. Noah turned to Robin who was standing over her Shadow self who was still immobile. Though Robin looked as confident as she possibly could have in that moment, the look of uncertainty on her face was all-too obvious. Noah—and most certainly Matthew—had a good idea of what was running through her mind. Helping her out would have been deceitful, and Noah knew that telling her anything probably would have resulted in negative consequences. He was glad that he didn't have to tell Matthew that either.

"You goin' to get up or am I gonna' have to make ya'?" Robin said as she glared at her Shadow.

Shadow Robin's head moved just a tad as she sneered up at Robin. "You think you're so tough…"

Robin wasn't having another word. She swiftly delivered a quick, but vicious kick to her Shadow's gut. Her Shadow cried out and recoiled, struggling to hold in her pain and pride. With a reluctant groan, Shadow Robin got to her knees and looked up at Robin, finally giving her the full attention she was looking for.

"That's better." Robin sighed.

Oddly complacent, Shadow Robin just stared upwards, waiting for Robin to speak. With all of the sadness and malice and hatred beaten out of her—quite literally—it would be a while before she had the energy to turn on them again. It also didn't help her that Robin had managed to get a leash on her wildly out-of-control emotions.

"Look," Robin grunted uncomfortably as she bent down, talking to her Shadow as if it were a child, "you ain't wrong about all that stuff you said. You were tellin' the truth. Every word." She scratched the back of her head and laughed softly, yet sadly. "I guess I really ain't nothin'."

"Not havin' a family hurts, and it's impossible to know what that's like if you've got one." Robin continued. "Even if you hate 'em. Even if it was just a dad, or a mom, or a brother, or a sister. Somethin's always better than nothin', always."

Robin allowed herself a minute to breathe. "I spent a lotta' time hatin' the world when I was growin' up. Gettin' on my knees and beggin' was one of my lowest points as a kid. It only made me hate people even more." She put a hand to her heart, her voice a murmur. "There was a gapin' hole here for most of my life. I've been tryin' to fill it, but it hasn't been goin' well. There were times when I'd try to kill myself. I can remember each and every one of 'em."

Her eyes were distant now, almost nostalgic as she remembered with a queasy kind of fondness the moments in her life where she'd hit rock-bottom. "The city looks real beautiful at night, even when you're hangin' off the edge of a bridge. I remember slippin' on the railin' and lookin' at all the lights and the cars, and all the stars in the sky… no one helped me then. No one was there to give me a rousin' speech about how I oughta' pick myself up 'cause I'm worth it. It was up to _me _to inspire myself. I picked myself up. And I've been tryin' to do that on my own for years."

Robin's head turned, her eyes beset on Noah and Matthew with affection. "But I know, now, that I don't have to anymore."

Shadow Robin was looking at them too with a newfound appreciation. Compared to before, it was almost bizarre how kind she looked.

"These guys right here risked their behinds to save my stupid ass." Robin whispered, her tone laced with a hint of surprise as if she was still coming to terms with Noah and Matthew's actions. "They came all the way down here to this dump to pull me outta' it. I gotta' repay 'em for what they've done. They deserve it." A wide smile. "And… so do we."

Shadow Robin smiled up at Robin. Her eyes were wet with fresh, joyful tears. Robin bent down and gently wrapped her arms around her Shadow as her Shadow was slowly drenched in a warm, golden glow.

"What was it you asked me?" Robin asked. "Ah, yeah, that's right… you're me, and I'm you, huh? Yeah, that sounds good. I don't think I mind that so much anymore."

Shadow Robin faded into a multitude of golden dust that collected into a single, blue tarot card. There was a sword on its face with two, equal scales hanging from each end of its cross-guard. Robin took the card into her hand and looked up at a figure that had appeared in Shadow Robin's face.

It was a woman with long, flowing, silver-blonde hair. There was a cloak wrapped around her shoulders and the entirety of its length was decorated with a black-and-yellow parallelogram pattern. The inside of it glowed green. The woman's body was pitch-black, almost as if they were looking into a bottomless well. Two red, eyeless sockets were located at the head. The woman held an incredible bow in her hand that was swamped beneath a dizzying quantity of jewels.

"Skadi?" Robin said. "That's your name, huh? And you're mine. My… Persona."

The imposing woman nodded, and then disappeared. Robin collapsed to her knees the instant her Persona disappeared.

"You alright?" Noah asked, coming up behind Robin and laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Totally." Robin laughed. "Freakin' tired, too."

"Tell me about it." Noah sighed. He looked towards Matthew who had been watching Robin and her Shadow's exchange intently.

"This is the worst possible scenario I had in mind." Matthew said as he joined them.

"Or maybe the best…" Robin mused sarcastically, tapping her chin.

"Best? Are you insane?" Matthew scolded as he fixed her with a stern, parental gaze. "You could have died down here! _We _could have died! If we had been late, you could have been—"

Robin shut him up by throwing her arms around him. Her head rested on his neck and she kept her face intentionally hidden as her body began to tremble. Matthew's hands were in the air and he was unsure of how to respond, but he eventually sighed, shut his eyes, shut his mouth, and returned her embrace.

"Are we talking again?" Matthew asked gently.

"Sure," Robin said, her voice just shy of a choked sob, "If that's cool with you."

"I missed you too." Matthew smiled. He looked at Noah and nodded him over. "And I'm sure he did too."

Robin looked up and smiled brightly at Noah. He grinned and patted her on the head. "You're in a lotta' trouble when we get home, miss."

"Fine by me!" Robin said as she pulled Noah into the embrace.

"I'm glad." Noah said. "Come on. Let's go home."

* * *

**Social Links (new!):**

**(!)** _Fool (The Team): 1 + 1 = 2  
Magician (Matthew):_ 2  
**(!) **Justice_ (Robin): 1 + 1 = 2  
Emperor (Griffith): 1  
Priestess (Lucia): 1  
Strength (Alice): 1  
Tower (Seth): 2  
Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 1_


	11. Chapter 11, Responsibilities

Chapter 11 – Responsibilities

Noah reached into his pocket and started to dig around. The intention was to grab his cell-phone and check for any missed texts or calls, which he was sure there were many of. Escaping from Robert's drunken stupor had left little room in his mind for much else besides Robin and Matthew's safety. A distinct and familiar kind of sickness churned his stomach as his pace slowed. Deliberately delaying his return was useless. Inevitably, he was going to end up walking through their door and he had a funny feeling he wasn't going to be welcomed with open arms.

Caught up in his worrying, Noah's fingers accidentally brushed against a cold key nestled at the bottom of his pocket.

He came to a dead stop and fished it out. By pure chance, he had managed to stop directly beneath the brilliant glow of one of Glasswater's antique street lamps. He held it up to the light and absentmindedly rolled it between his fingertips.

_One little visit couldn't hurt._ Noah thought.

There was a small drugstore nearby Catherine's apartment complex. Since the drugstore itself was far too small to house anything aside from the products being sold, the owners were forced to relocate the bathrooms to the side of the building. There was the male door on the left, and the female door on the right. Under normal circumstances, that would have been all.

Given Noah's possession of the key, he was granted access both in sight and in touch to a third option.

A blue, velvet door dead-center.

Noah's eyes bounced back and forth between the key shimmering in his hand and the apartment complex just a few blocks further down the street. His mind had already been made the moment his fingers had made contact with the key. Eager to postpone his arrival for as long as he possibly could, Noah started walking.

**[] [] []**

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor greeted as Noah stepped into the circular room. As per usual, Faith was seated next to him. She nodded as Noah took his seat at the opposite end of the rounded table.

"How may we be of assistance?" Faith asked. She took the compendium from its resting place on the sofa next to her and carefully placed it into her lap.

"I, um…" Noah squirmed in his seat uncomfortably and tapped his feet on the floor, trying to come up with a good excuse for coming here that didn't involve mentioning his cowardice towards his aunt and uncle. Were guests even allowed to come into the Velvet Room to just relax and hang out? Noah was a little too embarrassed to ask that straight out, so he smiled weakly and jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "I just got back from, er… saving my friend. A different one."

Igor and Faith exchanged confused looks, but eventually, their attention returned to him "We are well aware of your endeavors." Igor stated formally as he rested his palms on the table. "Rest assured, our watchful eye is always keeping track of your progress."

It appeared to be business as usual for Igor. Noah glanced at him uncertainly, not confident enough to maintain eye contact. There was something about Igor's penetrating gaze that made it difficult to speak at length with him. It was as if, regardless of how well Noah tried to bottle his thoughts and emotions, Igor could still leaf through him like an open book. Though the Velvet Room's purpose seemed to be one more suited towards relief from stress, he sometimes felt that it did much the opposite.

"Cool!" Noah exclaimed, a little more exuberantly than he had intended. "Er… I mean, thanks."

"There is no need to thank either of us." Faith spoke up, her voice laced thick with her trademark cynicism. "It is our duty to assist the Wild Card in all matters related to his desires. We are here for you, nothing more, nothing less. It would be far more productive for all involved if you kept that in mind from here onwards."

Faith's tongue was as sharp as ever… coming here had been a mistake.

_For someone who's supposed to help, _Noah thought inwardly, _you sure don't do a great job. _

"What calls you to our domain on this hour?" Igor asked, eyes unwavering.

"N-Nothing, actually." Noah admitted. "I just didn't want to go home yet."

Another series of traded looks passed between Igor and Faith before they tilted their heads at him in unison. They stared at Noah. Noah stared at them. An awkward silence befell the Velvet Room as Noah shrank further and further into his seat, his chest beginning to dip below the height of the table. Apparently, his answer wasn't enough.

"It... it's my uncle." Noah spit out. The silence had started to become painful, and he decided that he ought to get his issues resolved now rather than later. "And my aunt, I guess. I'm not sure if I can keep up this Persona business without them getting on my ass about it."

Igor and Faith seemed to be at a loss. Noah wasn't surprised. Even Igor, with all of his infinite wisdom, couldn't help him. Perhaps this was an issue suited to more earthly denizens, rather than the supernatural occupants of the Velvet Room.

Igor scooted forward in her chair and spoke to Noah directly. "To be perfectly frank," He began, "guests of the Velvet Room have never confronted us with matters directly related to their personal lives. Aside from, perhaps, one case, they all visited this room with questions related to Personas in mind."

"One case?" Noah asked.

"It would be prudent of you to avoid discussing the others." Faith warned.

"Oh." Noah sat up. "Well, er, if that's the case, I'm sorry for troubling you. I'll just—"

"But we can make an exception." Faith continued. "If you would like to discuss… personal affairs at length with us, we would be happy to assist you if you so desired. As I have mentioned, we are here to assist you in whatever manner you see fit. This is an open forum; do not hesitate to speak your heart. It is the most useful and powerful tool in your arsenal."

Of all the things that could have possibly come out of Faith's mouth, that had been the very last thing Noah expected. He openly gawked at her for a minute before collecting his scattered thoughts and sitting up straight in his chair. A bright smile crossed his lips and he respectfully nodded his head at Faith and Igor.

"Thank you so much." Noah said. "It means a lot."

A flicker of warmth briefly flashed in Faith's cheeks as she fought against the desire to return his smile. Taking note of this, Igor allowed himself the brevity of a perceptive chuckle before he folded his hands together and prepared to join the dialogue. Faith frowned at him before she turned to Noah and waited for him to begin.

"Well, there's a lot that's bugging me." Noah began. "My friend was telling me about HP and MP, and…"

A long while passed in the Velvet Room.

**[] [] []**

Noah's fingers brushed against the doorknob to Catherine's apartment. Though his talk with Igor and Faith had been an unexpectedly fulfilling one, he was still nervous. There was much he had gotten of his chest, but anxiety was not one of them.

The door flew open on its own.

There was his aunt Catherine, eyes red and streaked with riverbeds of dry tears. The two of them stood there for a minute just staring at each other. Noah felt as if he hadn't seen his aunt in ages, even though they lived in the same apartment. He flinched when he saw tears start to form in her eyes. He felt terrible. This was his fault. Why hadn't he at least thought of her before leaving to rescue Robin?

Catherine slowly pulled Noah into an embrace, her arms shaking. Noah was about to speak before Catherine put her fingers to his lips, shushing him. Noah gave her an odd look, but tenderly returned her hug. He noticed Catherine's eyes flickering from his to the side every now and then, like she was watching and waiting for someone to show up.

"It's your uncle." Catherine whispered as she leaned in towards Noah's ear. "He just fell asleep."

Noah's stomach churned and his face went pale. "How mad is he?"

"I'm not sure if angry is strong enough an adjective," Catherine sighed. She chuckled darkly as she added, "Just to give you an idea." She threw a cautious look over her shoulder and, after confirming that Robert hadn't awoken to the sound of their secrecy, ushered herself and Noah out into the hallway. Quietly, Catherine shut the door and then turned to fix Noah with a stern look, but one that was colored with a mixture of worry and relief.

Her foot began to tap the floor impatiently. Noah could only manage a sheepish look as he pocketed his hands rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"Care to explain where you've been all night?" Catherine asked keenly.

"A friend of mine needed my help with something." Noah said. It wasn't a lie. Robin and Matthew really did need to see him; otherwise they both would have died.

"Is that the truth…?" Catherine said with narrowed eyes. "The whole truth?"

This question was a little more difficult to answer. Lying, as he had been advised by Faith, was inevitable in his walk as the Wild Card, especially to elder figures such as Catherine and Robert. Among the many other sacrifices he would end up having to make as someone who bore the biggest burden of the growing number of Persona users, a wholly honest relationship with his aunt and uncle was a casualty of legitimacy in which he had little choice. A flicker of remorse flashed in his eyes before he spoke.

"Yes, auntie. That's the whole truth." He drew an X over his heart with one of his fingers. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

A nostalgic smile swept over Catherine's features and she put her hand to her mouth, stifling a whimsical giggle. "You used to love making that promise as a child!"

"Yup!" Noah beamed. "And you know it means what I mean with all of my heart and soul."

_I'm doing this, _Noah thought to himself silently, _to protect you. Please, understand that. _

Catherine softly stamped her foot on the floor and folded her arms. "I guess that means you win then, Noah. I trust that what you're telling me is true." Her stern expression faded in seconds. Her features softened and she took up Noah into another warm, affectionate hug. "I was so worried about you, sweetheart."

Noah smiled sadly to himself over her shoulder as he closed his eyes and struggled to let the moment pass without letting the guilt taunt him into submission. "I love you too, auntie."

**[] [] []**

"Noah! Yo, dude! Over here!"

A bottle of water rested on Noah's lips as he looked up at a student approaching him from the far end of the hallway. The plastic bottle cap fell from his hands and he cursed as it rolled away from him underneath the lockers. He sighed resignedly and faced the source of the voice with a tired look on his face.

"Griffith," Noah nodded, glaring at the open space between the bottoms of the lockers, "how are you?"

"Can't complain, can't complain," Griffith said energetically, bouncing lightly on the tips of his feet. His unzipped tracksuit bobbed and weaved with his movements. The white shirt underneath was moist with sweat, and the bottoms of his jogging pants were caked with patches of mud and grass. "What about you, you good?"

Brief, but distinct memories flashed in Noah's mind: Shadow Robin ripping through his arms and the venom that nearly killed him. A crazed Matthew clubbed a defenseless shadow to pieces. A destitute Robin sank to her knees and cried her heart out.

He smiled pleasantly and took a sip from his water. "Never been better."

"Hey man, that's awesome!" Griffith beamed. "So, anyways, I just came up here 'cause I wanted to ask you if you wanted to hang out with me and Lucia after school today. There's an ice cream shop we usually visit after school. Its Lucia's favorite in all of Glasswater. Well, it's the only one in Glasswater, but… never mind. Anyway, I thought we'd kick back, grab a few cones, fun times all 'round. What do you say? You down? First one's on the house, courtesy of yours truly."

"That actually sounds like a lot of fun." Noah admitted. He smiled and nodded eagerly. "I suppose I'll do that. I guess I'll see you by the front gate after school, then?"

"Yeah, yeah, sounds good." Griffith waved. Still jogging in place and rearing to go, the athlete turned and was about to head off before Noah tapped him on the shoulder. "Yeah? What's up man?"

"I was wondering if I could bring along some others," Noah said. "Would that be fine?"

"Er… hmph." Griffith hummed uneasily. The pace of his jog started to slow. "I guess. Who'd you have in mind, man?"

"I'm going to see if Matthew and Robin want to come too." Noah said. His hand tentatively brushed against the surface of his cell phone. "If that's okay with you."

With a visible and not-very-subtle cringe, Griffith groaned and put his hands on his hips. His jogging had come to a complete standstill and he blew a frustrated sigh. "Yeah, man, about that… shit, I dunno' what to tell you. You just had to be friends with those guys, huh?"

Noah looked at Griffith sharply. "Excuse me?"

"No, no, you got it all wrong man!" Griffith waved his hands frantically. "I'm cool with them. Don't know Matt all that well, kid's real quiet and all, but he seems like a cool guy. Doesn't seem to like me a whole lot, though. I know Robin though, and she's chill. She's a good friend to have, man. But Lucia… she probably wouldn't be too happy if either of them came along, you know what I'm saying?"

"I'm afraid you've lost me." Noah said. "You're going to have to explain."

"Let's see, how should I put this?" Griffith cupped his chin in one hand and adopted a thinking man's posture. "Lucia isn't exactly the patient type, you got me? She doesn't like to put up with a lot when it comes to people, and those two push her buttons in real different sort of ways. You know, kinda' like—"

The lively athlete stopped short of himself and looked pained for just a moment. Noah looked at him worriedly, but Griffith bounced back to where he left off without missing a beat.

"Well, Matt's super quiet all the time and she _hates _that, man. Like, that really gets on her nerves. She won't even try to deal with guys that won't speak up for themselves, and I'm sorry to say Matty fits that bill to a tee. Nothing personal, you feel me? Dude just isn't her type. As for Rob?" Griffith took the opportunity to whistle dramatically, his eyes rolling up to the ceiling. "I doubt Rob's told you anything, but they've got a history, man. Catfight and all that shit. It's crazy." He folded his arms and openly examined Noah with several quick nods of approval. "Yeah man, I'm sure if you got to know Lucia she'd tell you if you asked. But only if you got to know her, you know?"

Honestly, Noah didn't know. He hadn't caught everything Griffith had said, but he managed to catch all of the important bits with some effort.

Griffith: excitable, energetic, springy, youthful, athletic… not all-too-bright, but Noah would never tell him that to his face or to anyone else for that matter. That little tid-bit was his, personal, brutally honest observation.

Lucia (as told by Griffith): impatient, possibly misanthropic, ice cream enthusiast (?).

Tallying all of the information in his head, Noah gave Griffith the affirmative and nodded. "Sure! Where's Lucia now, by the way? Isn't she usually with you?"

"Hell if I know, man." Griffith shrugged. "Don't think she's cheerleading anymore. Don't know what she does now. Her business is her business, so I don't really want to follow her around like a creep. It's chill, though. Usually just means I can go for a few extra laps around the campus, you feel me? I ain't wasting time in the cafeteria, you can be sure of that!"

"Haha," Noah laughed delicately. Putting aside the fact that he was headed straight to the cafeteria as soon as they were finished, Griffith's constant outpour of energy was beginning to wear thinly on his nerves. He had just spent a night fighting all sorts of terrible creatures in some Godforsaken world. Getting some exercise was the very last thing he wanted to do. "Well, you go have fun running laps around the school. I'm just going to… stand here and drink water."

"What? Are you serious?" Griffith gawked at him incredulously as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of Noah's mouth. "Dude, come with me and burn some cals on the track! It'll be fun, I promise!" He leaned in and gently elbowed Noah in the chest while cupping a hand to Noah's ear. "Some of the cheerleading squad usually hangs out at the field during lunch. I know a lot of pretty girls who've got their eyes on you, man…"

Exasperated, Noah shook his head. "I-I'm fine, Griffith, really, its okay!"

"Huh. Okay, man." Griffith shrugged again. His eyes went wide, and then he winked suggestively at Noah. "So Robin's more your type, huh? She's pretty 'n all, but I have to be real with you man, she don't act like much of a girl, you know?"

"W… What!?" Noah exclaimed, horrified. He backed away from Griffith like prey trapped within the vicinity of its predator. "Um, I'm going to go now, if that's alright with you. I'll see you after school, okay? Wait up for me."

"Alright, man, catch you on the flipside." Griffith's knees bounced high as he started into another jog, dashing around the corner and off into Glasswater High School's courtyard.

**[] [] []**

"What's up!"

Matthew greeted as he watched Noah take a seat at their table. Noah nodded at him and then proceeded to slam his forehead into the table. Matthew's tray of food bounced up, his plastic utensils scattering across the surface.

"Woah, woah!" Matthew exclaimed, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"No." Noah said bluntly. He lifted his head and rubbed the sore red spot that had formed on his skin. He briefly checked the other chairs on their table and then looked to Matthew. "Where's Robin? Did she really not come to school today?"

"Guess not." Matthew sighed, poking his phone on the table next to his food. "Hasn't answered any of my texts. I'm sure she just feels really tired after all that stuff we went through last night. Can't blame her for not wanting to come."

"I suppose that's true." Noah admitted.

A plastic tray slammed into the spot next to Noah which caused both him and Matthew to jump in their seats. Noah looked up to see Robin quietly sit in the unoccupied seat next to him. Her eyes were lidded and unfocused as if she hadn't slept in days. To be wholly honest, the same could have been said for Noah and Matthew, but there was something very peculiar about her expression.

Robin's blank stare wandered around the cafeteria before settling on Noah.

"Robin," Noah said worriedly, "is something the matter?"

Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment before lifting up to the space above his head. She cringed, made a face, and then buried it into her palms, letting out an audible groan as she did so.

Noah and Matthew traded looks. Robin watched them from the safety of her folded arms and mumbled something incoherently. Noah leaned in and put his ear close to her head, straining to hear what she was trying to tell them.

"You can't see 'em, can you?" Robin whispered.

"See… what, exactly?" Noah wondered, his eyes wandering around the cafeteria. Unable to identify what Robin was talking about, he shook his head. "Robin, we can't help you if you don't tell us what the issue is."

Reluctantly, Robin looked up and examined the cafeteria room. Her hands were like claws wrapped around her face, her eyes barely visible beneath the gaps between her outstretched fingers. Cautiously, Robin reached up and waved her hand for a split-second above Noah's head. After having done so, she quickly snapped it back to her side.

"Ever since I woke up," Robin began slowly, "I've been seein'… I've been seein' clocks. I know it sounds dumb, but… everyone's got one. And I can't… I can't make 'em go away."

"Clocks?" Matthew squinted and looked above Robin and Noah's heads. "I don't see anything, Robin. Did you get enough sleep last night?"

"That's 'cause it's just me." Robin lamented. "Everyone, every single damn person in this town has a clock just floatin' above their heads. I was walkin' to school and I see this bus stop for the elementary school pull up and all the fuckin' kids got clocks just floatin' above 'em."

"Is… is there anything special about these clocks?" Noah asked. "Do they tell you the correct time?"

"No!" Robin's shouted as she kicked the lunch table with her feet. Several heads near them turned in their direction. Robin shrank into her seat and tried, in vain, to make herself appear less conspicuous. She leaned forward, folded her arms on the table, and rested her chin on top of them. "All of these damn clocks move at different speeds. Some go quicker than others. They don't all move second by second." She stopped, listened, and then groaned. "And if I stay quiet long enough, I can practically _hear _'em tickin'. This is the worst."

Noah was at a loss for words.

"What about our clocks?" Matthew spoke up, intrigued.

"I was gettin' to that." Robin mumbled. She glanced up at Noah and Matthew one more time before retreating back into the safety of her arms. "Your guys' clocks are stuck at 12:00."

"Our clocks are stuck? At 12?" Matthew whispered quietly. "Why the hell are you even seeing clocks in the first place? What's going on? This didn't happen to Noah, didn't happen to me…"

Robin chose to remain silent. She didn't have any answers for him. Noah looked down and felt into his pocket for the Velvet Room key. Perhaps Igor or Faith would know something about Robin's affliction. Noah clenched his teeth together, struggling to contain the anger that burned in his throat.

"Robin, you going to be okay?" Noah asked. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Yeah," Robin muttered, "You can gouge my eyeballs out. That'd be real sweet of you."

"Try not to worry too hard about it, okay?" Noah said as he reassuringly placed his hand atop her dark hair. "We'll help find out what's wrong with you as soon as we possibly can. I'm pretty sure this has to do with you facing your Shadow, so I don't think visiting the doctor is going to help you—"

"Wasn't plannin' on it." Robin interrupted. "I hate goin' to the doc."

"Alright. Hey, you never know, maybe this is a blessing in disguise." Noah smiled. "And it's not like the clocks are trying to kill you, right?"

"Don't mean they ain't pissin' me off." Robin said. She peered up and examined Matthew's cloc once more. "I don't know the significance of it bein' stuck at 12, but I'm guessin' you guys' are frozen 'cause you have Personas. If I looked in a mirror, mine'd probably be frozen too."

"They're probably stuck at 12 because that's when these events occur." Noah replied. "Time is frozen in the labyrinths at exactly 12. None of this answers why you've started seeing clocks, obviously, but it's a start."

"Doesn't answer why that freakin' subway station changed back into my home, either." Robin snorted, sitting up in her chair and crossing her arms indignantly. "If I'd known that's what would've happened when I faced my Shadow, I think I would've just died right there instead. Now my mom thinks I'm a reject _and _a loose woman. My life just gets better and better, don't it?"

"Ah, it wasn't so bad." Matthew teased. "You made it out alive, that's got to count for something."

Robin glared at Matthew hotly. "Speakin' of bad, when're you plannin' on payin' me back for that bat you wrecked? You're lucky all that Shadow blood disappeared when we came back, otherwise I would've painted it red with yours."

"H-Hey now!" Matthew stammered as he leaned away from Robin. "At least I didn't break the damn thing—"

"Asshole!" Robin snapped, leaning over and slapping his head.

Noah chuckled and sat back, letting the two friends work out their minor differences. At least for now, Robin seemed to have let her attention drift away from the constant drone of the clocks she was seeing.

Ultimately, for the moment, that was all that mattered to him.

**[] [] []**

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Noah."

Lucia Kennedy stuck out her hand and smiled at Noah flatly. Noah took her hand uncertainly and gave it the firmest shake he could muster. With a curt nod, Lucia withdrew her hand and turned away.

"Shall we move along?" Lucia folded her hands behind her back and looked up at Griffith with a warmer, more genuine smile on her face. Noah watched Griffith stare blankly at her for a second before he returned her gesture with a pinch on the cheek and a rough hand ruining her silky blonde hair. Lucia pushed Griffith away crossly and stamped her foot on the ground. "Stop treating me as if I were a child! And in front of Noah, too? Jerk!" She pivoted on a heel and quickly walked away down the sidewalk, presumably in the direction of the ice cream shop.

Griffith just laughed and shrugged, giving Noah a sheepish sideways glance. He fumbled with the zipper to his tracksuit and said, "She's always like that, man. Chick gets mad really easy, but she forgives just as fast as she forgets. Which is pretty quick. So if you get on her bad side or something, don't worry too much about it."

"Where's she going?" Noah asked, his eyes watching her move farther and farther down the sidewalk. He had a pretty good idea where she was headed, but he wanted to ask for clarification.

"Ice cream shop." Griffith said. "It's in the shopping district near the coast. You've probably been there. Wintertime's coming so most of the surfers aren't catchin' waves unless they're fucking crazy, know what I mean? Our waves might not be as impressive as you lucky guys on the west coast, but we're dedicated. I should take you with me one of these days. Sometimes I go with just Seth and Lucia when we just want to chill for a spell."

"Do you surf?" Noah asked.

"Not so much anymore." Griffith sighed, shaking his head regretfully. "But you better believe I'm gonna' make a comeback one of these days. Just need to get into a good groove, s'all." He jabbed an arm out in the direction of the coast and triumphantly boasted, "Yessir, Griffith Triton's gonna' smash those waves like you wouldn't believe!"

"I'd like to see you try." Noah taunted lightheartedly.

Griffith gave him a surprised look, and then laughed. "Is that a challenge I hear?"

"If you're willing to accept it. One of these days," Noah said, "you're going to have to put your money where your mouth is."

"It's a deal!" Griffith bubbled excitedly. He jabbed his hand out and stared at Noah expectantly with cool, yet determined eyes.

Noah looked at Griffith, his chestnut hair swaying on a wind carried by the current of the ocean. Part of him sensed something more to Griffith's expression than what was being said on the surface. Noah knew there was something Griffith wasn't telling him. Though it had been hinted at lightly before, he was sure of it now. Whatever it was, Noah knew better than to ask him straight out. Noah curled his hand into a fist and bumped it against Griffith's outstretched palm.

Griffith looked at him with surprise, but smiled. "Sealed. That's a promise you just made. Don't let me down, Noah. The day I make my grand return to surfing, I expect you to be right there with me. You, me, Lucia, Seth… hell, maybe even Robin and Matt. Sounds good?"

Noah nodded. "You can count on me."

"Sick." Griffith shaded his eyes with a flat palm and swore lightheartedly. "Damn. Lucia's pretty far down. That girl must be hurtin' for a cone. C'mon, let's catch up."

As Noah and Griffith began to head down to the shopping district, Noah's gaze began to wonder. It drifted across the street, onto the other sidewalk, and then…

…His eyes settled onto one Nathaniel Blackwater. Time came to a standstill as their gazes met for that one, uncomfortable moment. Nathaniel adjusted the signature black-and-yellow striped beanie obscuring his vision and stared at Noah. There was another young man that looked to be about Nathaniel's age walking alongside him wearing a flat-brimmed cap who was busily chatting away, oblivious to where Nathaniel's attention really lay.

There were mixed signals coming from Nathaniel, that much was certain. There was one feeling Noah was receiving from Nathaniel that was particularly worrying to him, however. One that he could see above all others.

It was suspicion.

**[] [] []**

"Vanilla?"

Griffith stared at Noah in disbelief and shook his head. He swept his hand over a folded-out menu hanging over the top of a row of several ice cream containers.

"Vanilla? Noah, are you serious?" He pressed his face up against the glass, staring at a rocky road container with hungry eyes. "You got all these choices man, and you want _vanilla_? C'mon, be a little more adventurous! You got your classics like strawberry, chocolate, French vanilla, you got your fancy ones like gelato, scones, and then you got your weird ones like… well, I dunno' what that purple shit is. I'm not eating it. But you can!"

"I think I'm alright." Noah said. "Vanilla sounds just fine."

Griffith blew air out of his cheeks and shrugged. "Alright man, suit yourself. Yo, I'll take one vanilla, one strawberry-banana, and one rocky road please!"

The cashier rang Griffith's total up and started to scoop up the ice cream behind the glass pane. Griffith clapped Noah on the back and directed him to a three-seat table where Lucia was waiting for them. Her legs were crossed and her full attention seemed to be focused on a lengthy phone call with one of her parents. Griffith dropped himself into his seat, propping his legs up onto an empty chair he had pulled up earlier. Noah set himself down lightly and politely waited for Lucia's call to end before talking.

"Yes, mother," Lucia sighed, twirling a strand of her hair in one of her fingers. Her eyes rolled up the ceiling as she leaned back in her chair. "Yes, I know. I'll be fine. Yes. Yes. _Yes. _Alright, alright, I understand. Bye!" One the call ended, Lucia snapped her cell phone shut and tossed it onto the table with disgust. "Honestly, what do they think I am, 12?"

"What's up?" Griffith asked.

"Nothing you ought to concern yourself with." Lucia snapped, turning away and folding her arms. "Your time and energy would be better spent elsewhere."

"So…" Griffith mumbled, "None of my business?"

"Exactly." Lucia nodded. She looked around the shop. There were a few customers seated at the other tables, some children, others also from Glasswater High. Her wandering eye landed on Noah and she stared at him with faint curiosity. Her eyes were cold, calculating, and they betrayed nothing short of what she wanted Noah to see. "So what brings you to our fair town of Glasswater?"

Noah had to admit that her icy demeanor was off-putting. In short, she was making it unnecessarily difficult to get along. It baffled Noah as to why Griffith seemed to consider her one of his best friends. She didn't seem to enjoy his company particularly all that much, and on the whole, their relationship seemed a little one-sided.

"Well," Noah began, "My mom's on a business trip in Japan. She couldn't exactly afford to drag me along with her, so she sent me out here to live with my aunt and uncle for all of Junior year until she gets back. That's the gist of it."

"I see." Lucia said. "Have you made any friends besides this klutz?"

"Hey!" Griffith interjected.

"…Yeah." Noah said. "I've made a couple. So far there's Seth, Matthew, Robin…" The instant her name left his lips, Noah clamped his hand over his mouth and stared at Griffith. Griffith had left the table, however, and had gone to the countertop to fetch their ice cream cones. He looked back to Lucia and noted that she was giving him an odd look.

"Is that all?" She asked with her head slightly cocked.

"Th-That's all that comes to mind." Noah said as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. Griffith, thankfully, came back and eased the tension that Noah had created. Rocky road sat alone in one hand. He passed the strawberry banana cone to Lucia and gingerly passed the vanilla cone to Noah. Noah tipped the cone towards Griffith. "Thank you, Griffith. I'm going to have to pay you back one of these days."

"What? Pfft, dude!" Griffith waved his hand at Noah and slung his arm around Lucia, bringing her in towards him. "Get a load of this guy, tryin' to get the moral high ground on me. Nah man, I told you that cone was on the house! You enjoy that. Look at it as a testament to our newfound friendship!"

"But I'm about to eat it." Noah pointed out.

"Eat it, snort it, use it as a weapon," Griffith shrugged and took a lick of his rocky road. "Makes no difference to me, man. It's the thought that counts, you know?"

Noah looked at Lucia who was trying to slip out from under Griffith's ironclad grip. He chuckled at her expense and raised the vanilla cone to the center of the table.

"See, now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Griffith boomed boisterously. He took his own cone and smashed it together with Noah's, causing the vanilla and rocky road to exchange flavors. Griffith nudged Lucia who was still trapped within his arm. "You're not getting out until you join the covenant!"

"I don't want to join your stupid covenant," Lucia pouted.

"Guess I'll just have to take a bite outta' yours then…" Griffith threatened cheerily.

"Ugh!" Lucia recoiled and relented unenthusiastically. "Fine, fine!" She took her cone and reluctantly raised it towards Noah and Griffith's mesh of flavors. Her strawberry-banana made contact with theirs, forming a triangular triple-ball pyramid in mid-air.

"Hell yeah!" Griffith boasted proudly. He withdrew his cone and immediately took a sizeable bite out of the ice cream. "Our ice cream pact's been sworn. We three are now best friends forever!"

In his heart, Noah highly, highly disagreed with that. Though he had to admit that he wasn't very fond of the idea of having 'best' friends in the first place, his heart still resided in the company of Matthew and Robin. Those two had been the very first ones to befriend him in Glasswater, and for that, his relationship with them would always be somewhat more meaningful compared to the others.

That did not mean, however, that Noah saw Griffith and Lucia's company as entirely unpleasant. Keeping up with Griffith's unrelenting passion and Lucia's frigid character, while taxing, would almost certainly end up proving worthwhile.

**Social Links (new!):**

_Fool (The Team): 2  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 2  
_**(!) **_Emperor (Griffith): 1 + 1 = 2  
_**(!) **_Priestess (Lucia): 1 + 1 = 2  
Strength (Alice): 1  
Tower (Seth): 2  
_**(!) **_Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 1 + 1 = 2_


	12. Chapter 12, Heaven or Hell?

Chapter 12 – Dread the Darkness

_August 26__th__, 2012 / Faith and Hope Chapel / 11:00 AM _

Church was in session at the Faith and Hope Chapel in the small town of Glasswater. A small crowd of attendees loitered within the vicinity of the entrance. Members who had volunteered to assist with the church's affairs were spread thinly among the crowd. Some stood at the double-doors handing out pamphlets and prayers depending on whatever the situation necessitated. Others manned the free breakfast stand that served coffee and compassion in equal doses.

Noah Scofield, admittedly uncomfortable in his "Sunday best", tried in vain to loosen his Windsor knot tie as he struggled to keep pace with his aunt Catherine who strode down the sidewalk with grace and purpose.

As a general rule of thumb, Noah made it a point to _avoid _religious gatherings such as this. His mother had never bothered him about such matters as she herself didn't seem to care anymore for them than Noah did. Out of love and respect for his aunt—and the fact that she had prefaced his reluctant departure with 'my house, my rules'—he had accompanied her.

It had been a long shot, but Noah had tried to contact others in the hopes that they might join him, something which his aunt had encouraged. Unfortunately, none of Noah's available contacts seemed particularly willing to endure an hour of preaching, even with Noah's spurring. He had even resorted to bribing some of them with gifts, even going so far as to flat out pay money.

"Noah." Catherine muttered brusquely.

"Yes?" Noah said sweetly.

"Mind. Your. Shoes."

Noah cast his eyes downward and cringed. Somewhere in his walk to the church, he had managed to step into a large wad of chewing gum. It very noticeably clung to the sides of his polished leather shoes and it didn't look like it'd come off with ease. On top of that, his shoelaces were flopping around like wet noodles.

"Did I _have _to come?" Noah pleaded, trying to give his aunt the most pitiful stare he could manage.

"Don't you look at me with those eyes." Catherine snapped. "And consider the alternative. Would you rather spend the day in the company of your uncle Robert?"

Unfortunately, his aunt had a point. The matter of Noah's 'rebellion' as Robert had put it had not been resolved with any amount of tact. Indeed, Noah's privileges as far as going out at night as well as time spent after school had been drastically cut back. Noah's revised schedule was an exemplary illustration of the term 'child abuse' as far as he was concerned.

A mischievous smirk passed Noah's lips, unbeknownst to Catherine's eyes. He had zero intention of complying with Robert's demands. It was only a matter of figuring out how to slip out of the apartment without him knowing.

"Noah, look sharp." Catherine ordered. "We're here."

The Faith and Hope Christian Chapel looked well enough. The building was constructed with a multitude of Indian-red bricks, much like the exterior of Glasswater High School. The triangular steeple was flooded with bits and scraps of dead leaves from the decaying trees surrounding the chapel. Where the steeple joined at the top, there was a stained glass circular window. A white dove was centered in the middle surrounded by a mass of other shards of varying colors. The sides of the church were flanked by tall, rectangular windows bordered with wooden blinds that were opened outwards. All in all, it was a very normal building.

Similarly, the people were the types Noah would have expected. There were men and women and children of all different shapes, colors, and sizes milling about waiting for the service to begin. Catherine glanced at Noah, patted him on the head, and joined the fray.

Clearly, his aunt expected him to fend for himself. Noah was silently thankful. He much preferred that versus being led around by the nose and being introduced to all manner of folk he would almost certainly forget the names and faces of.

Noah approached the breakfast stand and took one of the Styrofoam cups from one of the baskets. After filling the cup to the brim with black, bitter coffee, he reached into the side with the intention of taking one of the bagels from the pile.

His hand brushed another. Noah looked up.

A girl stood next to him, her hand slightly retracted. Her auburn, shoulder-length hair swayed as she looked left and made eye contact with Noah. Her eyes were a deep brown and they complemented the shade of her hair. Noah stepped back and waved for her to go ahead and take the bread, offering her a friendly smile as he did so. She didn't follow his cue, however, and instead chose to give him an odd, awkward stare.

Noah shifted uncomfortably. "Is there something on my face?"

"…No." The girl said after some time. Her voice was soft, mellow, and withdrawn and her eyes were constantly on the fritz. One moment she'd be staring into his eyes and the next they'd be flittering off to skirt past his ears or down at the ground. The girl reached up and started to fidget with the oversized buttons on her ruby red overcoat. "I… well, you looked familiar, that's all."

"Do you go to Glasswater?" Noah asked.

"I do!" She said, unexpectedly excited. Catching her outburst before she could go any further, she stopped and cast her gaze down at the ground again. Her hands had started to move about her, but now she looked as if she didn't even know how to use them. One hand hung awkwardly at her side while the other reached up and began pushing strands of hair behind her ear. "I mean… yes, I go there. I see you at lunch, sometimes…"

"You should say hi." Noah said with a reassuring smile. "I won't bite."

The girl gawked at him as if what he was suggesting was out of the question. Noah didn't doubt that approaching him alongside Matthew and Robin was perhaps well out of bounds of her comfort zone. Social interaction seemed to cripple her on every fundamental level of communication.

"You know what?" Noah spoke up before the girl could manage a word. "Let's start this again. I'm Noah Scofield. And you?"

"M-Me?" The girl stammered. Her lips trembled and her ears turned a hot pink as she threw furtive glances left and right, as if checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping on some big secret. The girl's shaky eyes struggled to maintain contact with Noah's. "I-I'm… I'm Grace Benedict."

"You have a beautiful name." Noah complimented. He reached out to the basket, took a bagel, and offered it to Grace. "Is this what you wanted?"

Grace eyed the bagel nervously, but she nodded and took it from him without a word. She managed a weak smile at him before attempting to turn tail and leave. Unfortunately for Grace, another girl came up from behind and flung her arms around her neck, pulling Grace into an unwanted hug.

"Grace, Grace, Grace!" A preppy, excitable voice chattered loudly. "What's this?" A girl's head leaned out from behind Grace's. Her skin was a light shade of brown, and her hair was tied into a long braid that hung low before her waist. Her eyes were dark, like Grace's, but they were bright, cheery, and filled with vibrant energy. The girl pushed her trimmed bangs out of her eyes and gave Noah an accusatory, but friendly stare.

"I'm Noah." Noah repeated, somewhat wearily. "Noah Scofield."

The girl wrinkled her nose and seemed to be deep in thought, and then her eyes went wide. "Oh! Hey, you're that new kid, aren't you? I heard Seth talking about you in my Calc class."

_Is there anyone Seth doesn't know? _Noah thought. He glanced at Grace who seemed to have resigned herself to her fate. _Probably Grace. _Noah was on the verge of a reply before the girl spoke again.

"I'm Maria Salvador! But you can call me Sal, if you want." She winked at him and then proceeded to smash her face next to Grace's. "Grace, this is so cool! You're actually talking to a stranger—a guy, no less—on your own terms! I'm so proud of you!"

"…It was an accident." Grace whispered timidly.

"Nonsense!" Maria hollered straight into Grace's ear. "This Noah must be something special if you haven't run away from him yet." She put her hand next to her mouth and grinned teasingly at Noah. "I think she likes you!"

"Is that so?" Noah laughed. "I like you too, Grace. And you as well, Maria."

Grace turned a very obvious shade of red, but Noah's amicable banter simply caused Maria to laugh as well. "We have a playboy on our hands, how about that?" She tut-tutted and threw a casual look over her shoulder towards the entrance. "I don't think polygamy is supported by the church, Noah. Looks like you're going to have to choose!"

Noah just shook his head and looked at Maria. "So, are you good friends with Grace?"

"Obviously." Maria giggled, rolling her eyes as she did so. "I'm also one of the leaders of the youth group in attendance at this church. You going to be a regular attendee here, Noah? Just throwing out my two cents, but I think you'd fit in real well with our little group here. I bet Grace here'd be real happy to hear it!"

"Noah!" Catherine called from the entrance. "Service is about to begin, get in here!"

Noah looked at Grace and Maria and shrugged helplessly. "I'm in Glasswater for a year. I don't know if I'd be able to commit to it."

"That's fine!" Maria said. "As much time as you're willing to put into it is as much you're going to get out of it if you do. Think about it, it's not as bad as you might think. Anyway, we'll see you inside. C'mon Grace, I know you're dying to stay but we've got work to do!"

And with that, Maria took Grace and dragged her away into the church.

**[] [] []**

_August 26__th__, 2012 / Faith and Hope Chapel / 1:00 PM_

The sermon had gone about as well as Noah had expected. In layman's terms, that meant that he had slept through every second of it. What had managed to grab Noah's attention, however, was the worship band that played prior to the start of the sermon. In spite of Grace's crippling social anxiety, she had gotten up on stage seemingly without fear and sung her heart out alongside the piano, the drums, and the guitars. Her voice was captivating, of that there was no doubt, but he was more interested in the fact that she was getting up in front of so many people and performing. What had happened to her anxiety?

Unfortunately, Noah had been unable to get a hold of Grace after the sermon ended. He had tried to look for her, but she had taken the opportunity to leave without saying her goodbyes.

_Not that I'm surprised. _Noah thought.

On the flip side of the coin, Maria had taken great strides in order to make herself available after the service ended. In Noah's fruitless search for Grace, Maria had appeared from within the crowd.

"Noah! Noah! Noah!" She slipped between two adults conversing with each other, interrupting them as she presented herself. She sheepishly apologized to them before clapping her hands together and beaming at Noah. "So? What'd you think? Did our Grace surprise you with her musical talents today?"

"She did." Noah admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't think she'd have it in her to do something like that."

"Oh, our Grace is full of little surprises." Maria winked, a little too suggestively than Noah would have liked. "So, where you headed? You wanna' join our youth group session in half an hour? It'll be fun, I promise! We usually go out to eat when we're done. I'll pay for you! It's my treat!"

"Um…" Noah sucked in air through his teeth and stared at the ceiling. "Yeah, I don't know about that."

Grace clasped her hands together, leaned forward, and ogled Noah with her best puppy eyes. "Pretty please?"

Noah gave her an awkward look and shook his head firmly. "Er, sorry, but I'm going to have to pass. I, um… have things to do. Really important school things."

"Lying is a sin, you know." Maria said, giving Noah a suspicious sideways glance. "But if that's what your heart's set on, so be it. I can't change that. If you change your mind, here's my number. Just call if you want to know where we are, we're always available!"

As Noah entered Maria's digits into his phone, he surveyed the slowly thinning crowd once more before fixing Maria with an inquisitive stare. "By the way, where'd Grace go? Isn't she part of the youth group?"

"Oh, Grace, huh?" Grace's name came from Maria's lips with a hint of venom that did not go unchecked by Noah. He kept his thoughts to himself, however, and let Maria continue. "She doesn't attend the youth group. Would probably kill her if she did. Sitting in a circle and talking about herself really isn't her cup of tea. So she heads straight home. What, you want her number or something?

Noah shook his head and pocketed his phone. "I'll get it from her the next time I see her. Thanks for filling me in, though. See you next Sunday!" He pivoted away from her and headed towards Catherine who was standing off to the side, waiting for Noah to finish.

Maria watched him go, and then, under her breath, muttered, "Yeah, whatever."

**[] [] []**

_August 26__th__, 2012 / Glasswater / 1:30 PM_

"Do you have any plans for today?" Catherine asked as she walked with Noah out of the church entrance.

Noah didn't have an immediate answer for her. Short answer: no. But he was looking to spend some time with people that he hadn't seen in a while, namely Seth. He was open to inviting Matthew or Robin along with them to head down to the beach or something similar. If going to church had been all on his itinerary for the entirety of Sunday, Noah might've gone to the beach alone simply to drown himself in his sorrows.

"I might." Noah shrugged. "Do you want me to walk with you the rest of the way back to the apartment?"

"I'd like that," Catherine said, "but if you're planning on heading into town for the rest of the day, I don't want to stop you." She wrapped her arm around his neck and planted a big, sloppy, wet kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for coming. I appreciate it."

"Anytime, auntie." Noah smiled.

**[] [] []**

_August 26__th__, 2012 / Glasswater / 2:00 PM _

Noah's invites had been a relatively mixed bag. Matthew was at work at his part-time job outside of Glasswater. Robin hadn't answered, which only served to heighten Noah's anxiety over Robin's condition. Was she not answering because she was asleep? Or was she not answering because she was still being tormented by the clocks? It crossed his mind to visit her and check to see how she was doing, but he figured he should let her recuperate on her own time for now. If she really wanted company, she would call him back.

Continuing further down the list, Griffith had told Noah that he was at the local gym working out. When Noah had asked what he had been up to before that, Griffith answered that he had been working out. First, Noah was silent. Then, Griffith invited Noah to join him. Griffith's proposal was met with another uncomfortable bout of silence before Noah said his thanks and hung up.

Lucia, a little too bluntly, said she wasn't comfortable with hanging out with Noah alone if others—Noah guessed Griffith—wouldn't be joining them.

Seth's case, on the other hand, warranted suspicion.

"Who is this?" Seth's voice came across as oddly monotone. As far as Noah was able to tell, Seth extended no kind of special treatment to anybody. Everybody was on equal terms. It might have just been one sentence spoken in one way. Seth might have just woken up. Seth could have been having a bad day. The possibilities were endless. Either way, it didn't negate the fact that something seemed off about him.

"This is Noah." Noah said. "Seth? What are you doing? It's been a while."

A grunt, shuffled papers, and then, "Oh, Noah, hey!" Seth's usual demeanor returned with a bit of hesitation. "Yeah, I'm sorry, been real busy you know? Lots of senior stuff I need to take care of, sorry I haven't been around the past week. What's up, man?"

"Well," Noah began, "I just got out of church with my aunt and I was hitting everyone up, seeing who's down to hang out today. You're the last one on the list full of no-go's. Are you free?"

There was a pause. Noah heard something small being knocked over followed by a subtle, barely heard curse. The phone shifted against Seth's stubble and he sighed quietly. "Um, today? I don't know, I'm not sure. Listen, get back to me in like, an hour, okay? I'll see if I'm free then. If not… look, don't count on it, okay bud? I'm sorry, I'm kind of busy with… school and all that."

"Hey, it's fine!" Noah reassured. "There's always next time, Seth. I don't want to impose."

"Definitely!" Seth replied. "Hey, I'll make it up to you tomorrow. That cool with you, bud?"

"Absolutely." Noah said. "Take care of yourself, Seth."

"You too!" And then Seth was gone.

While Noah had called each available contact in his list one by one, he had been walking down a relatively empty sidewalk. No cars had passed by him during his phone calls and perhaps one or two people passed him by, either on his sidewalk or the one across the street. As soon as Seth ended the call, Noah shut his phone and put his hands on his hips, looking at the sky with a look of slight disappointment.

_Do you really want me to attend that youth meeting, Igor? _Noah groaned inwardly. _Do I really have to do that? _

Fortunately, Noah didn't have to make that judgment call. Someone else made it for him with a swift, but brutal strike to the side of his head.

**[] [] []**

_August 26__th__, 2012 / Unknown / Unknown_

"Rise and shine, Scofield."

A raging headache pounded in Noah's skull like a jackhammer screaming into cement. Whoever had struck him had no qualms about letting him off easy. Slowly, but surely, Noah opened his eyes. His vision was murky and swathed with black spots, remnants from the concussion he had suffered. He raised a hand to his head and felt the side. When he brought his hand to his face, he could see streaks of red running down his palm.

Had Noah the means to do so, he might have screamed right then and there. A combination of realizing the position he was in as well as the injuries hampering his physical and mental faculties stopped him from doing so.

Noah's vision, eventually, began to come into focus.

In a chair adjacent to the couch he was lying on sat a young man with a familiar cap. The young man's facial features were hidden since he was facing away from him, his attention focused on a television Noah could hear faintly in the background. He was dressed in a manner befitting of someone heavily influenced by urban culture: an orange and black sleeveless shirt that he wore over a regular, white t-shirt complemented by dark grey cargo shorts and a pair of basketball shoes. Though his vision was still somewhat blurry, Noah could see that the young man's posture was tense and rigid. The only part of the young man's body that moved was his foot, restlessly bouncing up and down. His hands were folded beneath his chin and he seemed to be making a conscious effort to avoid looking at Noah.

Off to the side at the end of the room was, presumably, the entrance and exit door. There was a girl Noah was unfamiliar with leaning against it with her arms folded and one foot propped up against the door. Her light brown hair was tied into a messy bun near the base of her neck, and thick, tangled locks of hair hung all across the rest of her head. She wore an incredibly oversized t-shirt that was sloppily tucked into a leather, studded belt that held up her denim shorts. Parts of the shirt billowed over the belt. Her attention also seemed to be focused on the television, but the girl hazarded a cautious glance at Noah as he began to wake up.

Noah's biggest concern, however, was the young man sitting in a chair pulled up next to the couch. With his cocky smile, black and yellow beanie, tall, gaunt face, it was unmistakable who had brought him here.

Nathaniel Blackwater.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Nathaniel remarked as he fixed Noah into place with an imposing glare. "Mi casa es su casa and all. But you've already done that, seeing as you've bled all over the family couch."

Noah groaned and turned his head. He could feel the fresh, wet stains his bleeding scalp had left in the towel lying underneath him.

"I don't think you've met my friends." Nathaniel waved a hand to the young man in the chair. "This here is David Yu. And the chick by the door over there is Monica Grant. Say hello to Noah, guys."

David's head turned and he looked at Noah uneasily. "Yo."

"Sup." Monica greeted.

"We all familiar with each other?" Nathaniel looked around the room and pounded a fist into his palm. "Great, glad that's settled. Well, since we're all gathered here today, I imagine you've got a lot of questions in that big 'ol skull of yours, am I right or am I right?"

Noah couldn't answer just yet.

"Well, that's if your brain's still intact." Nathaniel chuckled darkly and raised his knuckle to the light coming down from the ceiling fan. Noah could see blood smattered on the edges of his fist and he cringed as the light reflected off of the crimson red. "I got you pretty good. You were just walking, you know? And I've been meaning to talk to you, and lo and behold, here you are."

Noah stared at the ceiling as Nathan's words went in one ear and out the other. He had little intention of letting Nathaniel bully him into submission. Trying his best not to signal his intentions, Noah moved his lower body against the fabric of the cushion. To his dismay, his cell phone had been taken from him. Noah frowned and glanced at Nathaniel as he prattled on about nonsense. If what Nathaniel wanted was his attention, he would give it to him. It wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter.

"So, Noah, tell me about what's new with you!" Nathaniel leaned forward in his chair and dropped his chin into his palms with a mocking smile. "How's school? Getting the grades? Making friends? Having fun? Hm?"

Noah hated the fake cheer prevalent in his tone. He was being taunted and there was nothing he could do about it. Nathaniel's friends were carefully monitoring their exchange, even though they were trying to make it look as if they were ignoring it. If Noah made one wrong move, he knew they would be on him within seconds. He would have to bite the bullet and scrape through.

"I didn't think you cared." Noah replied.

"Oh, but I do." Nathaniel set his hand down next to Noah's head and leaned forward a little bit more. The dark bangs peeking out from underneath his cap hung over Noah's face. There was a devilish grin on Nathaniel's lips as he scrutinized Noah with an intense glare. "How do you like those Glasswater gals, Noah? You must be getting around a lot with that fucking face of yours. How about it? From one brother to another?"

"So this is about Robin?" Noah said, deflecting Nathaniel's attempted bait.

It was brief, but Nathaniel's sneer dropped. "This is about more than Robin, pal. This is about you, Matthew, Robin, and whatever fucking game you guys are playing."

_Shit. _Noah's heart sunk into his stomach. He knew exactly where Nathaniel was going with this. On the night Robin gained her Persona, he remembered Matthew had mentioned seeing Nathaniel before hanging up. Something had happened that night, something Matthew had forgotten to fill Noah in on. And now, he was paying for it.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Noah lied.

"Bullshit." Nathaniel drummed his fingers on his knee and folded his arms. "Matty-boy was talking about saving Robin or some crazy shit like that. Blew right past me and walked right into her house. You wanna' explain?"

Noah's heart pounded in his chest as he desperately tried to come up with something to sway the topic in another direction. Nathaniel was on to their biggest-kept secret and from the looks of it, he was willing to use violence in order to get what he wanted. He even had backup in case Noah tried to resist.

"I…" Noah stammered with a dry throat. "You could… get arrested for this."

Without any kind of warning whatsoever, Nathaniel leaned over and smacked Noah upside the head. The pain coursing in his brain stabbed even deeper and Noah moaned as he felt his consciousness slowly start to fade.

"You're in no position to be making threats." Nathaniel spat contemptuously. "And besides, I know you wouldn't rat me out. And you know why?" Nathaniel glanced at his two friends over his shoulder before leaning in and continuing in a low whisper. "It's because you like to be used. You enjoy vulnerability. I can see right through you, Scofield. You've got too much empathy, too much compassion in that soft old heart of yours to follow through with threats for guys like me. You don't think I'm worth it. You think I can be saved. Well, let me stop you right there and tell you that you're fucking delusional."

Nathaniel leaned back in his chair and raised his hands derisively. "We come from two different worlds, Scofield. You grew up with guidance. I know you're going to ask me how I know that, but it's plain as the gash on your head. You ooze self-control. But me?" A bitter laugh. "Well, where should I begin? Hot-headed. Arrogant. Loose cannon. Loser. The list goes on. Point is, I can't be fixed, and I know you're just itching to try and see what makes me tick. Isn't going to happen, Scofield."

It was a lot to process for Noah. Noah never would have thought it possible, but he was actually being lectured by Nathaniel. He wasn't quite sure how to respond, especially since half of his focus was attending to the headache wracking his brain.

"You talk a lot," Noah whispered quietly, "but you don't say much."

Nathaniel winced and looked at Noah. "Excuse me?"

Noah looked away and shut his eyes. He had said all that he needed to.

"You think you win, just like that?" Nathaniel muttered angrily. "You just say a couple of lines and you tell me _I'm _the one who's full of shit?"

"No." Noah answered, still avoiding Nathaniel's gaze. "I think you're full of a lot of things. But that isn't one of them."

With a great cry, Nathaniel punched the part of the sofa above Noah and ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. "I fucking hate that shit, man. You're bringing me right back to my therapy session days, always talking like you think you're better than me. You want to sound sympathetic, but you're just fucking lying. You're head's so far up your own ass that it's making me sick to my stomach."

"I'm no counselor," Noah muttered, "and you're not the rebel you think you are."

"Shut the fuck up, Goddamn it!" Nathaniel roared as he rose up and slammed his hands on either side of Noah's head. Noah could smell the alcohol on Nathaniel's breath as the bully snarled and stabbed his finger into Noah's chest. "Enough with the bullshit! I want you to tell me what happened that night, right now!"

"You hit me in the head pretty hard." Noah said, turning his head and diverting his eyes away from Nathaniel's penetrating stare. "Memory's a little foggy."

"Kid, word to the wise. Stop fucking around." Monica spoke up from the doorway. "Tell him what he wants to know."

"I don't owe any of you anything." Noah answered. He tried to sit up, but the pain throbbing throughout his skull set him right back down.

"As I said earlier, I tried talking to Matthew." Nathaniel said, his harsh stare never leaving Noah for a second. "When I rolled by he flipped me off and went straight into Robin's home. I try ringing the doorbell and what happens? Robin's mom acts as if nothing's wrong, as if Matt didn't just walk through the front fucking door."

_He didn't see the subway? _Noah's eyes narrowed as he watched Nathaniel's impatient rage climb higher and higher. _But… why? _

"And then what?" Noah asked.

"Oh, so now the big shot feels like talking?" Nathaniel snapped.

Noah shrugged and allowed Nathaniel to take the floor.

"And then _you _show up." Nathaniel ran a hand across his beanie and shook his head. "And that's when I go 'what the fuck?' to myself. I see you get out of someone's car and you just walk right in, just like Matt. I try my luck again but Robin's mom comes out and she says the exact same fucking thing. The _exact _same fucking thing. Same tone, same posture, everything. 'Robin is home, but she doesn't want to see you.'"

_What the hell? _Noah thought.

"And the cherry that goes on top of this weird-as-shit-sundae?" Nathaniel slapped his hands onto his knees and cocked his head. "I knock again. Robin's mom comes out, tells me the same bullshit, but this time I'm not having any of it. So I try to get past her but I can't. Because there's some kind of _invisible fucking force field _blocking me from getting in. Robin's mom doesn't even react." Nathaniel's eyes were wide. Whether it was from fear, excitement, dread, or a combination of all of those, Noah was uncertain.

"Nathaniel, I don't know what to tell you." Noah bluffed. "Matthew and I didn't go to Robin's that night."

"Bullshit! Fucking bullshit!" Nathaniel shrieked, rising up and kicking at the couch. "I know what I saw! I know you were there! And Matthew! All of you fuckers on some kind of black magic bullshit!"

"Nathaniel," A voice calmly interrupted, "I think he's right."

Nathaniel swiveled around and glared at David whose eyes were still set on the television. He walked forward and shoved David's shoulder. When David didn't react, Nathaniel smacked David's hat off of his head. Still, David did not react. With a frustrated yell, Nathaniel grappled at David's collar and hauled him to his feet.

"What the _fuck _did you just say?" Nathaniel snarled.

"I remember how you came home in the morning." David said impassively. Clearly, he was unaffected by Nathaniel's tantrum. "Homie, your drunk ass could barely form a coherent sentence. It was a goddamn miracle you managed to get back here. Talkin' about some kind of force field shit… what do you take me for?"

"Fuck you!" Nathaniel screamed. Flecks of spittle landed on David's face, but the patient young man did not make a move to wipe them away. He kept on staring at Nathaniel with the calmest expression Noah had ever seen. "Monica!" Nathaniel pushed David back into the chair and turned to face Monica. "Monica, you believe me, don't you?"

Monica looked at Nathaniel for a moment before turning away and keeping quiet.

"Shit! Shit! Goddamn it!" Nathaniel paced around the room knocking bottles off of the table and kicking chairs over. He reached down and upended a small, circular stool next to the television. Burnt cigarette butts spilled out onto the floor. He kicked the cigarette container into the wall and followed its trajectory, pummeling the wall with his fists.

With fearful eyes, Noah glanced at David and Monica who simply stood by and watched as Nathaniel unloaded all of his anger into inanimate objects scattered about the room. David mournfully shook his head and looked at Noah.

"Hey, go on, get out of here." David murmured. Monica glared at him, but David returned her stare with one of his own. She sighed, looked at Nathaniel forlornly, and then stepped away from the door. David nodded to her and then handed Noah his cell phone. "We're not far from the shopping district. Just get out of the motel complex and head west on the road in front of us. You got it?"

Noah held his head and groaned lightly as he set his feet onto the carpet and looked at Nathaniel who had stopped rampaging across the room. His fists were clenched and his chest was heaving, but he did not turn to face Noah. The angry young adult stood there facing the wall.

As Noah left the apartment with David helping him to his feet and Monica watching the two of them with reluctance, Noah realized something.

Nathaniel's friends hadn't been there to protect Nathaniel from Noah.

They had been there to protect Noah from Nathaniel.

* * *

**Social Links (new!):**

_Fool (The Team): 2  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 2  
Emperor (Griffith): 2  
Priestess (Lucia): 2  
Strength (Alice): 1  
_**(!) **_Sun (Grace): 0 + 1 = 1  
_**(!) **_Devil (Nathaniel): 0 + 1 = 1  
_**(!) **_Moon (David): 0 + 1 = 1_**  
(!) **_Hermit (Monica): 0 + 1 = 1  
_**(!) **_Lovers (Maria): 0 + 1 = 1  
Tower (Seth): 2  
_**(!) **_Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 2 + 1 = 3_


	13. Chapter 13, Seeds of the Sinners

Chapter 13 – Seeds of the Sinners

_August 27__th__, 2012 / Glasswater High School / 12:00 PM_

"Noah Scofield, I take it?"

Said a grizzled, older looking gentleman who stared at a sheet of paper in his hand while he rubbed the stubble dotting the lower quadrant of his face. He took a pen to the page and crossed a name out, then set it down and folded his hands on the table. The man's features were strong and mysterious: his light brown eyes were withered, distant, and somewhat disconnected from the world around him. His jaw was wide and firm. His brown, wispy hair—while still spruce and lively—was beginning to gray at the tips.

Noah didn't like to assume anything specific about anyone he had just met, but the man sitting across from him looked as if he had weathered much hardship over his life. Perhaps that explained why he was a counselor at Glasswater High School.

"Yeah," Noah answered. "That's me."

"Hm." The man hummed. "Well, it's good to finally meet you. My name is Samuel Lovelace. For the rest of your Junior year, I'm going to be your counselor." Samuel extended a hand, which Noah shook firmly.

"Nice to meet you." Noah said as he withdrew his hand. "So, what's on the agenda Mr. Lovelace?"

"No need to be so formal, Noah." Samuel waved a hand, his tone annoyed and impatient. "I want to foster a sort of familial relationship with all of the students under my guidance. I want you to come here feeling like you can tell me about whatever's on your mind. I want you to think of me not as your counselor or a faculty member but as someone you can trust fully and completely." A pause. "Let's start with this. I want you to call me Samuel, or Sam, if you like."

"…Okay." Noah scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. He wasn't used to calling adults he wasn't familiar with by their first names. "Sam. What's on the agenda?"

"Well," Samuel cleared his throat and glanced at the sheet of paper on the desk. "All of the counselors have been scheduling meetings with all of the students here at Glasswater for the past two weeks. The first meeting is a mandatory session in which we get to know you, the student, and your feelings, goals, ambitions… this is really all about you and the picture you'd like to paint of yourself. We'd like to open a channel of communication which students can come back to and use whenever and if ever they desire. Not all of them do, and that's fine, but for those that need a little push in the right direction, we're here for you."

"So it's all about me, huh?" Noah grinned and folded his hands behind his head.

"Precisely." Samuel nodded. "Let's begin with an open-ended question. Where do you see yourself in five years?"

"Umm…" Noah's eyes rolled to the ceiling and he thought about it long and hard. "I guess… graduating from college? Hopefully?"

"A good answer." Samuel said. "Do you know which you'd like to attend?"

"Nope!" Noah shrugged. "I have no clue. Kind of a boring answer, sorry."

"If I had a penny for every time someone said that…" Samuel laughed. "That's actually a very common answer. It's okay to not know just yet. What's important is that you're actively working towards finding an answer, rather than just sitting by the wayside and hoping the solution falls into your lap. That's what separates the leaders from the followers: those that are willing to invest time and effort into the pursuit of their ambition are the ones that will find their mark in the world. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

"My mom tells me that kind of stuff all the time." Noah smiled thinly. "She's a real 'early bird gets the worm' kind of woman."

"You should listen to her!" Samuel admonished. "It's not healthy to be so passive, especially at your age. Everyone has something to say, it just takes some a little more time than others to find their voice. We've barely started getting to know each other and I can already tell you have the capacity to do great works."

Noah sighed and gripped the edges of his seat, tilting his chair back and planting his feet on the sides of Samuel's desk. He was torn as to whether he should broach the next topic of discussion he wanted to bring up. A large part of him wanted to ask Samuel about his responsibility as a Persona user. He would speak theoretically, of course. After all, Samuel would most certainly have referred him to a mental institution if he spoke about Personas in literal terms.

"Hey, Sam," Noah said, somewhat uncertainly, "Can I let you in on a little secret?"

"Absolutely!" Samuel said. "That's what I'm here for."

Noah bit his lip and looked out the window behind Samuel. The light from outside skirted the half-turned blinds, illuminating tiny specks of dust floating in the air in an infinite dance of unclean mockery. Trees swayed in a breeze Noah could not feel nor hear, but the natural music of chirping birds managed to clip through the glass.

"Well," Noah began, "I just moved here to Glasswater from the west coast about a week or two ago. I've made some friends, explored a bit of the town, tried to settle in, you know the deal. It's been good so far, but…" Noah scratched his head uncertainly and sighed. It was difficult to dance around the issue so deliberately. The man in front of him was a counselor. No doubt he was used to dealing with the dishonesty of others. Samuel had probably begun reading Noah like an open book the minute he had opened his mouth, a possibility that was only worsened by the fact that Noah was a notoriously inexperienced liar.

"But…?" Samuel probed, ever-patient.

"It's… it's my aunt and her husband." Noah said, deciding in that split-second, to take it in a completely different direction. "Catherine and Robert."

The moment his aunt and uncle's name left his lips, Samuel's eyebrows rose. He suddenly leaned forward in his chair and studied Noah intently. "Catherine and Robert?"

"Yes," Noah confirmed, "Catherine and Robert."

Rather unexpectedly, Samuel slapped the wood of the desk and laughed. He laughed and laughed and laughed as Noah frowned, confused. When Samuel was done, he wiped the tears from his eyes and passed a hand over his face with a nostalgic smile. He propped himself up on his arm chair and regarded Noah with slight reverence. "I know those two lovebirds," Samuel sighed, "It's been ages but I used to work with your uncle, Robert. We used to be coworkers on a construction project in the city up north. That was a long time ago, and it was right before he met his fiancée Catherine. Tell me, how are they doing now?"

"T-They're, er…" Noah stammered as he cleared his throat. "They're doing great!"

The forced lie spilled from his lips like days-old bile. He was at a crossroads. Should he come clean and lay all his cards on the table? Should he expose Catherine and Robert's troubled marriage? Or should he keep it under wraps? Noah knew that it was Samuel's job to console him in any matter he confronted him with, whether that be schoolwork or life-related. Knowing that didn't make his decision any easier.

Was it fair of him to keep the truth of Catherine and Robert's relationship a secret? Clearly, Samuel hadn't been in contact with either of them for quite some time and if what he was saying was true, there had been a time when his aunt and uncle hadn't spent their days toiling in the throes of marital failings.

"That's wonderful news!" Samuel smiled warmly, taking Noah's bait hook line and sinker. A slight frown dampened his delight. "But if I remember you correctly, there was something bothering you about them, wasn't there?"

"Y-Yes, you're right, there was." Noah struggled, his mind going haywire as he strung together lies as fast as he was capable. "You see, um… I-I don't want to be a burden on them and I feel bad for imposing on their marriage since they don't, ah… have a kid."

Samuel's expression remained puzzled, but he seemed to believe Noah. "What an odd thing to say. Are you here in Glasswater on your own accord or were you sent here due to trouble in your home on the west coast?"

"My mother is on a business trip in Japan." Noah said. Naturally, the truth came easier. "She couldn't afford to take me with her, so I was sent here to live with my aunt and uncle."

"I see, I see." Samuel nodded. "If that's the case, I have no idea why you would think you're imposing. At the end of the day, it would make no sense to assign any of the blame to yourself. The reality of the situation is that you had little choice in the matter, so whatever guilt is weighing on you right now is an irrational one. Have your Robert or Catherine done anything to suggest that they are unhappy with your arrival?"

"N-No." Noah could only manage a weak smile. "I guess… I guess they haven't."

"Then there you have it." Samuel returned Noah's smile with one of his own: stronger and more confident. "I realize there are other families that might not take so kindly to hosting their nephews or nieces, but I used to work with Robert on a daily basis and I know Catherine. You are in good hands, Noah. They are wonderful people and there is little doubt in my mind that they are happy to have you. You seem like a good kid. Be proud of yourself and your relationship with them."

Noah forced another smile, much to the displeasure of his churning stomach.

"I couldn't agree more."

**[] [] []**

_August 27__th__, 2012 / Glasswater High School / 3:00 PM_

Noah withdrew his cell phone from his pocket and scrolled through his inbox, eyes keenly searching for any new text messages he had received.

One came from Robin: _im ok, not feelin well, c u tomoz _

Another from Matthew: _sorry bro, busy again! maybe robin is free?_

The next came from Seth: _Sorry about yesterday, I feel really guilty. Let's hang out tomorrow! _

The last was from Griffith: _shit I overslept _

Noah sighed resignedly and looked over his messages one more time before shutting his phone, shouldering his backpack, and heading towards the entrance gate to Glasswater High School. School had ended about thirty minutes ago and he had spent that time seeing, once again, if anyone wanted to hang out with him before five 'o clock. Catherine had asked him to come to the daycare at five, so he had two hours to kill before he headed to her location.

_Nothing to do. _Noah grumbled inwardly. _No one to see. _

He shoved his hands into his pockets, malcontented and disgruntled. The silver key inside shifted when his hands made contact and Noah froze on the spot when it did. He sought around for it a bit and pinched it between his fingers in order to examine it in the sunlight. Noah held the key up between his fingers. Though Faith and Igor were willing to act like counselors, as Samuel was, they hadn't particularly been very good at it. Noah couldn't blame them in the least, however. They didn't owe him any favors. And it wasn't as if they could understand how the mind of a developing young adult worked. Hell, it was his brain and _he _could barely understand how it worked. They tried to help him and in the end, that was all that mattered.

Though, in the future, Noah probably wouldn't return to the Velvet Room for its counseling services.

"What are you looking at?" A voice asked. "Is there a fly in your hand?"

Noah blinked and looked down from the Velvet Room key. Lucia Kennedy was watching him intently, her eyes narrowed and her hands laced behind her back. Her gaze was focused on the Velvet Key pinched between Noah's finger tips and it took him a moment to process what was happening before he jumped, the key flying into the air as a result of his outcry of surprise. His hands darted out and the key bounced from one hand to the other before he snatched it in mid-air and deftly deposited it into his pocket.

Lucia gave him an odd look, but maintained her distance. "What are you doing? Juggling invisible balls?"

"Y-Yeah!" Noah laughed. "I'm practicing for… for… for a talent show! Do you want to watch?"

_Idiot! _Noah screamed to himself. _Kill yourself! _

"No, not particularly." Lucia said with a cursory side-glance. She looked at the other students walking around them and frowned. "Have you seen Griffith? I haven't all day."

"He says he overslept." Noah chuckled and showed her Griffith's text which had arrived in his inbox just minutes ago. "See?"

"That oaf." Lucia shook her head and ran a hand through her blonde hair in exasperation. "I don't have enough fingers or toes to keep track of how many times that idiot has 'overslept' or 'forgot to set the alarm'."

"I think that's just how he is," Noah shrugged helplessly, "Or at least, that's the impression he's given me."

Lucia's eyebrows raised. "Oh?" She smirked. "And what do you think of dear Griffith?"

"Er…" Noah pursed his lips. "Can't say I have an opinion."

"You're a horrible liar." Lucia said matter-of-factly, her penetrating glare boring deep into Noah's psyche with every syllable, "Please, do tell me what you think of my athletically predisposed companion?"

The way she was speaking was beginning to rub Noah in all sorts of wrong ways. It was calm and lighthearted, but also whimsical and flighty, as if she were making fun of him in front of his face. Noah looked into her accusatory stare and reconsidered. Scratch that. She was definitely mocking him. Lucia continued to gaze upon him with her hands folded behind her back and her eyes unflinching. Her dedication to her craft was commendable.

"Griffith?" Noah smiled unevenly. "I… I'd have to hang out with him more."

"Sorry." Lucia pouted. "Not biting."

_What the hell do you want from me? _Noah thought, frustrated. _Why does this matter so much to her? Does she want an essay? _

"Look," Noah said, stressed, "I think Griffith is cool, alright? I like him."

"Hm…" Lucia tapped her chin and tilted her head at Noah. "I don't know if I like that answer. Is that all?"

Noah gritted his teeth and tried to stop himself from blowing up in front of Lucia. Here was a girl who was trying her damndest to push all his buttons, and the most insulting part about it was that she wasn't even trying to be subtle about it. He was grasping for stars as to why Lucia could be so confrontational towards him when they barely knew each other. Had he said something to set her off? Did she not like him being friends with Griffith? All of these questions would have been perfectly appropriate and valid given the context, but he stayed his tongue and tried to maintain his patience.

"From what I've gathered," Noah said, "Griffith's got a lot of heart and a lot of energy with no real outlet to pour that into, so he exercises a lot. He has a lot of friends and he's very easy to get along with. All in all, he's a normal guy. Satisfied?"

Lucia's subdued expression was, as always, cold and calculating. "You must be wondering why I'm giving you such a hard time."

"I am," Noah sighed, "but I guess you have a right to know."

"Oh?" She smiled wryly. "And why would that be?"

"Well, since you're going out with hi—"

Before Noah even had a chance to finish his sentence, Lucia immediately stepped forward and grabbed at the center of Noah's shirt with controlled force. Her blue eyes were ablaze with a faint, but definite intensity as she gazed deeply into Noah's. She didn't say a word. Not a single blink of her eyelashes betrayed any of the dozens of thoughts that must have been circulating in her head in that moment. It was impossible to get a read on her.

"A-Am I wrong?" Noah asked.

"No, not wrong…" Lucia whispered. "But not right either."

_What the hell does that even mean? _Noah thought.

"Lucia." Noah said candidly. "Clarify something for me."

"It would be my pleasure." Lucia answered, a drop of sarcasm coloring her otherwise lifeless tone.

"Every time I see you it seems like you've got a problem with me. I barely even know you but I get such a sense of overbearing hostility from you that it's… it's almost overwhelming." He licked his dry lips, a nervous bead of sweat trailing down the crease of his brow. Noah hadn't planned on divulging this to Lucia in any manner, but she had left him little choice. He needed an answer and he needed it now. "On top of that, you claim that you're not comfortable with me alone. That's sure as shit a sign as any that you flat-out don't like me. I'm trying to wrap my head around this but I'm not finding any answers. Do you have one for me?"

Lucia offered Noah a quizzical look before crossing her arms and putting her weight on one hip. What was on her face was not anger or irritation, the traits Noah would have expected. Oddly enough, the look on her face implied one of bemusement.

"You think I don't like you?" Lucia brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and looked at Noah curiously. "What an odd thing to say."

"Huh?" Noah's eyes narrowed out of confusion. "What—"

Lucia smoothly slipped one foot between Noah's planted feet and leaned in even closer to him than she had before. Her eyes were narrowed and inquisitive, studying Noah's face for even a twitch. Her lips moved, but for a rare moment, she seemed to be having trouble figuring out what to say.

"Would you like to hear of a dream I had?" Lucia asked.

"A dream?"

"Yes, a dream." Lucia's cleared her throat and looked at Noah, but her eyes were seeing something else.

"I was at a party and I was surrounded by dozens upon dozens of people I did not recognize. It was crowded and smelly and the music was much too loud. At the time I did not think it strange that I was there, seeing as it was a dream… but now that I've had the time to reflect upon it, I see the dream in a new light. An omen, if you will. I remember the throng pushed and pulled and I was forced to ride the ebb and flow of their inane rhythm against my will. No matter how I struggled, I was unable to break free. I felt like I was drowning in an ocean of people, all of them uncaring. I was certain that death was imminent."

Lucia coughed uncomfortably and readjusted her posture. "…And then you were there. So many faces, so many people could have come to me in that dream, but it was yours. I remember you firmly grabbing my arm and hauling me out of the crowd. You carried me in your arms and you kept telling me that I would be fine. You took me home. You tucked me into bed. You fed me soup. You told me bedtime stories. You told me good night." There was a vague smile on Lucia's lips as she recounted her strange dream. "The hallmark of a true gentleman."

"What—"

The smile on Lucia's lips faded soon after. "And then you went back outside and I followed you without leaving the bed, like my soul was leaving my body and watching you from above. A bit like Ebenezer Scrooge of 'A Christmas Carol' fame, if you need help visualizing it. Anyway… you went back to the party. You shattered the door into hundreds of pieces, but… all you did was walk through it. I remember, distinctly, how you faced the crowd right then. Such anger! I didn't think it was possible someone like you could get so mad in so short a time, but in my dream, you did…" She inhaled slowly. "And… it was terrifying. You didn't even so much as lift a finger but the entire crowd of people were cut down to ribbons in seconds. And you stood there unflinching, watching everyone die like you'd done it thousands of times before…"

A visible shiver ran down the length of Lucia's body.

"I remember waking up." Lucia continued listlessly, her voice leveled and flat. "I was in my bed and I was sweating. I felt so warm, but the thermostat in my room said it was freezing. 'What a terrible dream!' I thought to myself. I was glad to be awake. But as soon as I thought it was over, my doorbell rang. When I went downstairs and looked through the peephole, I saw you standing there, soaked in blood. Your eye was pressed up to the peephole and you stepped back and you broke my door down, just like at the party… and, in the end, you smiled this awful smile that I cannot, for the life of me, even begin to describe. "

"I…" Noah swallowed, mortified. "I don't…"

Lucia snorted bitterly and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Why do I feel this compulsion to confide in you like this? I barely tell Griffith about my dreams and here I am, spilling my guts out to you." She sneered derisively and shook her head. "How on earth do you do it, Noah? What is your secret?"

Reduced to mere silence, Noah stared blankly at Lucia. He was completely speechless.

"Well, whatever. I don't need you to say anything. It doesn't matter either way." Lucia shrugged, stepping off and giving Noah some much-needed breathing room. "Whatever Griffith sees in you, I am having trouble finding. I'm usually not one to judge the character of a stranger off of some silly nightmare, but this… there is something different about all of this, about you. I can't put my finger on why I dislike you. No matter how kind you are to everyone around you, I think it's worth mentioning that I feel very differently. In the future, please feel free to stay away from myself, Griffith, and everyone else that I am acquainted with."

"What's that, the entire school?" Noah asked incredulously.

"If that is how you choose to see it, then yes."

Noah was silent. After a while, he said, "I won't be able to keep that promise."

"Try."

A brief nod, and then Lucia turned away from Noah. She strode towards the entrance gate without a hitch in her step, as if everything that had just transpired between them had been just business. She didn't hesitate, she didn't stop. Not once did she cast even a furtive glance over her shoulder. In moments, she was out of sight, like the afterglow of a setting sun.

With a heavy sigh, Noah buried his face into his palm.

**[] [] []**

_August 27__th__, 2012 / Catherine's Daycare Center / 5:00 PM _

Noah examined the scrap of paper in his hand, and then glanced up at the building in front of him. His aunt Catherine had asked him to come by her daycare immediately after school had finished. Noah had obliged—after all, it wasn't as if he was up to anything after school. He placed his palms on the fence separating the daycare center from the rest of Glasswater. There was a playground in the dirt courtyard with dozens of children running wildly amok. Plastic buckets and shovels, if not clutched in the hands of a child, were scattered haphazardly about the ground.

In the midst of all the chaos was Catherine, patient and as loving as she always was. Noah smiled as he watched his aunt pick up a child tugging at her jeans and cradle him tenderly in her arms. Her eyes swept the courtyard for a minute before they landed on Noah who watched her from the vantage point behind the entrance gate. A smile lit up her face as she waved to him, calling his name in earnest.

"Noah!" The child in her arms bounced as she waved. "Come in, the gate is unlocked!"

Noah nodded and gently pushed the gate open, slipping through and shutting it quickly as he entered. Some of the children glanced up to look at the daycare's new visitor; others didn't even blink as they continued to blast blindly around the playground. Noah was forced to watch his step as he waded through the veritable sea of children.

"Hey, auntie," Noah breathed as he came to a careful stop in front of Catherine, like an island in the middle of a raging ocean, "what'd you call me here for?"

"Oh, nothing too important," Catherine murmured, watching the children warily, "just—" Her voice stopped short and she stared at Noah's head. With a short cry, she pulled Noah in and pushed his hair away from a spot on the side of his head. Her fingers lightly brushed against a set of stitches hidden beneath his hair. Noah offered her a timid smile.

"Noah!" She cried softly. "What is the meaning of this? Who did this to you?"

"It's nothing, auntie." Noah grunted, pushing her away and pulling his hair over his wound. "I just tripped and fell at the beach. Nothing serious."

"What did I say about telling me lies?" Catherine scolded, reaching over and pinching Noah's nose. "Someone did this to you. I just know it. Who was it? I'll wring his ears out, and then he'll wish he'd never messed with my little Noah."

Noah made a face and threw a quick glance at a handful of children who were starting to notice their exchange. "Please, auntie, not in front of the kids."

Catherine shook her head and wagged her finger at him disapprovingly. "I'll let this slide for the time being. But when we get home we're going to have a long talk about where you got those stitches from, do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am." Noah grumbled under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Catherine asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"I get it!" Noah sighed, throwing his hands up into the air.

"For your sake, I hope you do." Catherine said. She looked upon Noah's head a little while longer, but thought against adding anything more. The child in her arms stared dumbly into space, one thumb stuck firmly between his lips. Catherine bounced the boy a few seconds longer and then pushed the child into Noah's arms without warning. "Okay, Noah, here. I want you to hold him."

Noah accepted the child, but not without an uncomfortable grunt. The child turned his head and examined Noah's face with wide, curious brown eyes. There was a pause before the child reached up and jammed his fingers through both of Noah's nostrils, letting out a jovial exclamation of excitement as it did so. Suffice to say, Noah was not amused, though Catherine certainly was. One hand was clamped tightly over her mouth as she watched the child slap Noah about with reckless abandon.

"Tell me—" _Slap_. "—what—" _Slap. _"—you wanted me—" _Slap. _"—here for—" _Slap. _"—again?"

"Well, this." Catherine chuckled. "I needed to go and take care of some paperwork for the daycare, but it was at an awkward time. Then I remembered I had you, so for an hour I'd like you to watch the children for me, alright? It's recess right now so you don't have to do much, just make sure the kids don't get too crazy. I'll be back before you know it."

Noah looked at the children with despair. "An hour?"

"Just an hour." Catherine smiled and gave him a quick hug. She waved as she squeezed out of the gate and shut it behind her. In just a few beats, she was in her car, revving up, and exiting onto the road without giving Noah even a second to get a word in edgewise.

**[] [] []**

_August 27__th__, 2012 / Catherine's Daycare Center / 5:15 PM _

Few of the children barely registered Catherine's departure, if at all. The most perceptive of the lot seized their caretaker's absence as an opportunity to increase both in volume and in exuberance. As the minutes since Catherine's departure ticked on by, he could only watch as the chaos unfolded before his very eyes. Children left and right were sprinting around the courtyard, falling down just as quickly as they got back up. Some of the children were touting their newfound sense of freedom out in the open, throwing toys against the wall and cramming them into the dirt. Others sobbed loudly as they overdramatically tended to their tiny cuts and scrapes.

In a word, it was a nightmare.

"H-Hey!" Noah called out meekly. A few heads twitched, but turned right back to wherever their true interest was invested in. "S-Settle down!"

The screams grew even higher in pitch.

Noah strained his hair through both of his hands and clenched his teeth. The urge to yell wound tighter and tighter in his throat until it practically begged for release, like a coiled spring ready to fire off a pinball. It wasn't that he disliked kids. No, the problem was that kids tended to dislike him. Noah's tendency to be overly friendly with everyone he met was an exploitable weakness in the eyes of many children. He had recognized this long ago when his mother had forced him into a piñata suit for children to beat with plastic bats. Perhaps that situation had less to do with kindness and more to do with putting power into the hands of ruthless savages, but nonetheless, Noah felt his perspective still stood firm.

A small hand tugged at his pant leg. He looked down and saw a little girl clutching a stuffed killer whale tightly to her chest. Her hair was long and brown and her eyes as wide and as curious as the child he was holding.

"What's your name?" The small girl asked.

_She's probably going to kick me in the shin or something. _Noah thought.

"None of your business." He snapped.

The girl pouted openly and hugged the whale tighter to her small frame. She looked like she was about to cry and Noah knew right then that he had made a mistake. He bent down closer to her—almost dropping the child already in his arms in the process—while shaking his head quickly.

"Sorry, sorry!" Noah whispered softly. "My name is Noah. I'm Catherine's nephew."

Sniffling, the girl wiped a few tears from her eyes and looked at Noah straight. "Her what?"

"Nephew, it's like… I'm her sister's son. Does that make any sense?"

The girl nodded and her grip loosened up on the whale. "My name is Gwen."

"Gwen." Noah rolled the name low over his tongue, making a face as he did. Gwen smiled and giggled and hid her face behind the whales. "Gwen, how old are you?"

"Nine." Gwen replied modestly.

"That would mean you're in fourth grade, am I right?"

"Yes." Gwen affirmed with a toothy grin.

Noah grinned and set the child in his arms down onto the pavement. The child had been growing steadily more and more restless with each passing minute and, by that point, had resorted to sticking his entire hand down Noah's mouth. Upon release, the child stuck his tongue out at Noah and flung himself headlong into the waiting fray of tumultuous children. Noah could only stare hopelessly after him as Gwen watched the insignificant event unfold with a remarkably perceptive expression.

"I don't think that boy likes me." Noah groaned, taking a hand to his sore neck.

"That's Timothy." Gwen said with keen eyes. "He's always getting into trouble. Even Ms. Catherine has a hard time with him. That's why she was holding him when you came."

"Is that so?" Noah chuckled, impressed by Gwen's observational skills. "I guess that means I'll have to keep a close eye on him then, huh? I might need your help with that, Gwen."

"Are you going to come here every day?" Gwen asked abruptly, suddenly shifting gears and steering the topic into uncharted territory.

Noah opened his mouth dumbly and made a noise not unlike a crow colliding headfirst into a spotless window pane. Gwen smiled simply at his inability to answer her on the spot and took to fidgeting with her whale.

"That… depends." Noah said, markedly unassertive. "Would you like me to come visit you every day after I finish school?"

A hint of red tinted Gwen's cheeks and she attempted, in vain, to cover herself up with her stuffed animal. There was her answer.

Noah chuckled softly and reached over, gently patting Gwen's soft brown hair with one outstretched hand. He looked at her sincerely and gave some honest thought to Gwen's implied proposal. So far, he had yet to join any extracurricular activities at Glasswater High School and it wasn't as if he was hanging out with friends every day after school. In addition, he knew Catherine probably needed some assistance seeing as she seemed to be the only caretaker managing all of the children.

"I can't promise that I'll visit you every day," Noah said after some time. "But would you be happy with me visiting you at least once a week?"

Her answer appeared as a slight frown pulling down the edges of her lips. Noah swallowed and the pace of his heart quickened. Was that not enough?

"It'd be like a surprise!" Noah urged, balling his hands into fists and shaking them childishly in front of his face. "You'd never know when I was coming!"

That seemed to have done the trick. Gwen mulled over that thought in her head and when she arrived at her conclusion, she smiled brightly and clasped her hands around Noah's one outstretched hand. She grasped at his fingers and found his pinky, and then wrapped one of hers around it.

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise."

Gwen held on a little longer than Noah generally would have expected a pinky promise to last, but he understood her intent Nonetheless. He wrapped his other hand around Gwen's latched pinky and gave it a firm shake, staring at Gwen sincerely.

"I take my pinky promises very seriously." Noah said. "Once a week, I will come here after school, same time, same place. Understand?"

Gwen smiled and nodded.

"Good." Noah said. "Oh, and just between the two of us…" He looked around the courtyard and made sure no one was eavesdropping, though he as well as Gwen knew no one here would do that which incited a light giggle from the small girl. When he had conducted his surveillance, Noah leaned in and cupped his hand around Gwen's ear. "I think you're my favorite kid here at the daycare. Don't tell anyone I said that, okay? This is our little secret."

**[] [] []**

It had been a long day, and it had not been without its fair share of headaches, but Noah had enjoyed it when it was all said and done. He reached into his backpack, pulled out some crusty old book he needed to read for English, and cracked it open. He read the words, but much else was on his mind. From the revelation of Samuel's ages-old relationship with his uncle Robert to his titillating encounter with the ever-frosty Lucia to the innocent soul, Gwen, the day had been ripe with diversity across the spectrum.

He was tired, spent, and worn-out, but he was glad for the time he had spent today. Perhaps he had not enjoyed every minute of it, but in the end, he never expected to. A part of him didn't want to. Pain went hand in hand with growth in the proper doses and Noah knew better than any of his peers that he still had a lot of learning to do.

In truth, it was difficult for Noah to establish clear, solid relationships with people that weren't close relatives such as his mother or aunt Catherine. Part of that stemmed from moving all around the country on such a regular basis, but putting all of the blame on his social ineptitude on that one fact alone would have been dishonest. Noah had to attribute partial blame to himself. If he didn't, he knew that he would never learn.

Never in all of his days did Noah think he would be spending time with people like Robin, Griffith, Lucia, and all the rest. To a lesser extent, he could have even included Nathaniel within that shortlist. He tended to stray solely within the boundaries of his comfort zone with people like Matthew and Grace. People that were very much like him. That might have explained why he was so quick to get on good terms with Matthew. Maybe that had been a part of his stunted social development.

In any other state, he would have chosen to shy away from Robin's constant gung-ho persona, Griffith's unmatchable energy, or Lucia's frosty demeanor. They were unfamiliar and, in many ways, they still were.

There was something fundamentally different about Glasswater versus all of the other towns and cities he had lived in prior. It didn't necessarily look any nicer than any other town and the people certainly weren't any kinder than those he had met in those towns. Could it have been the Velvet Room? Was it his fateful encounter with Igor and Faith the cause of all this? Did the path he was set upon as the 'Wild Card' inspire this uncharacteristic confidence?

Whatever the case, Noah was happy. In a rare shot in the dark, he was truly, definitely happy. He wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

Suddenly, Noah's phone rang. The number was unknown. Noah accepted the call and brought the phone to his lips, but not without some hesitation. The voice on the other side of the call was silent for a bit, and all Noah could hear was hazy static.

"Hello?" Noah said.

"Noah."

The voice was unmistakable.

"We need to talk. I'll see you after school tomorrow."

The call dropped.

Nathaniel Blackwater.

* * *

**Social Links: **

_Fool (The Team): 2  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 2  
Emperor (Griffith): 2  
_**(Rank Up!) **_Priestess (Lucia): 2 + 1 = 3  
Strength (Alice): 1  
Sun (Grace): 1  
Devil (Nathaniel): 1  
Moon (David): 1_**  
**_Hermit (Monica): 1  
Lovers (Maria): 1  
Tower (Seth): 2  
Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 3  
_**(new!) **_Hierophant (Samuel): 0 + 1 = 1  
_**(new!) **_Death (Gwendolyn): 0 + 1 = 1_


	14. Chapter 14, Beggars and Choosers

Chapter 14 – Beggars and Choosers

_Unknown / Unknown / Unknown _

_It has been said that human children are like sponges. When their attention is focused, they soak up knowledge like nothing else. In this state of mind, human children are eager to learn, they learn and they learn well. Though their thinking may be scatterbrained and their resolve flimsy, there is no greater point in the life of a human versus when they are children to absorb knowledge. The pen is mightier than the sword, and this philosophy rings ever truer in the mindset of a child. It is at that crucial moment in one's life where they choose to pick up one or the other. There is no middle ground. _

**[] [] []**

_August 28__th__, 2012 / Glasswater High School / 8:00 AM _

A whistle blew.

A young man clad from head to toe in basketball practice gear bent down then sprinted forward down the field, basketball in one hand and spirit of youth in the other. Teammates lining the edges of the field watched and waited for their turn as their coach hit the timer on his stopwatch, monitoring the progress of the lone man charging up and down the moist, grassy arena. It was eight 'o clock in the morning and one common thought underscored many of the player's thoughts as they anxiously marched in place.

_It's too early for this shit. _

In stark contrast to the popular opinion at the time, the young man committed to his suicides had no complaints about the matter. As far as he was concerned, they represented their school, its students, its colors, and its motto in direct correlation with the amount of energy and effort they dedicated to their sport. He understood their mentality, of course, but in no way, shape, or form did he support it. Weakness of the mind meant weakness of the spirit and the young man, breath heavy and heart pumping, had no shortage of either. If it were possible to share his enthusiasm with the rest of the team, he would have done so in a heartbeat.

Drunk with exhaustion, the young man struggled down the final lap, knees high and eyes blearily stumbling about the field. His gaze brushed the chain-link fence surrounding the field and he noticed a student watching them from behind its protection.

Blue-gray eyes. Soft, somewhat disheveled brown hair. Handsome features. A stranger. The basketball player's curiosity was piqued.

The young basketball player swallowed and finished his suicides, hands on hips and eyes set on the student watching them practice. He passed the basketball to the next player in line and prodded over to the water jug on the table off to the side. Cup in hand and armband set aside, he pushed his sleek, dark brown hair out of his eyes and approached the young man with an affable smile.

"Hey, stranger." The basketball player greeted. "You having fun watching us behind this fence?"

The young man smirked, but not with contempt. "What if I said no?"

"Then I'd tear this fence down and knock you out." The basketball player shrugged. "Tryouts for new players are coming up. You look pretty fit and healthy. Ever had any interest in joining a basketball team?"

"Not really." The young man admitted. "I played a game of football a couple of days ago and I got my ass handed to me. I don't think it's for me."

"That's football. And we all start somewhere." The basketball player chuckled. "You should come out. You never really know what you're fully capable of until you willingly choose to step outside of your designated comfort zone, you know?"

The young man looked thoughtful for a moment. He looked as if he were genuinely considering the proposition. "I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best."

"Hey, no pressure." The basketball player smiled warmly and placed a hand against the fence. "I'm Christopher, captain of the GHS basketball team. And you?"

"Noah." The young man replied. "New kid on the block."

"Ah… so you're the guy that's been making the rounds." Christopher cocked his head and gave Noah an interested look. "For some reason, you're not at all what I expected. By any chance, do you know Alice?"

"What does she look like?"

"Psh, don't ask me." Christopher shrugged, "That girl's tastes change on a whim by the day. Anyway, reason I'm asking is the other day she was ranting to me about some 'little punk' who pranked her and wasted her time. Details are a little sketch but from the way she was describing him, you look a lot like him. Has something like that happened to you in the past few days?"

"Oh, that…" Noah masked his face with his palm and shook his head regretfully. "Yes. That was me. I still need to apologize for that. She seemed pretty upset about what happened." Noah saw Christopher opening his mouth and, predicting what he was about to say, stopped him with a raise of his hand. "And I'm not entirely comfortable with telling you about it. I'd prefer to keep this between the two of us for now."

Surprise was the first thing to cross Christopher's face, but it was soon replaced by a thin smile of disapproval.

"…Have it your way." Christopher shoved his hands into his basketball shorts and bit his lip, looking at Noah's body with curious eyes. "Well, it was nice getting to meet you. Sit on my offer for a while. I don't need an answer right away." The basketball player bowed slightly and then turned in order to rejoin his awaiting teammates. Noah watched him with a slight feeling of discomfort settling in the pit of his stomach.

_That guy… _Noah thought, at a brief loss for words. _What a weirdo. _

**[] [] []**

_This behavior extends not only to the mental developmental stages of a child but also to the psychological, the behavioral. Just as easily can a child be taught the fundamentals of the English language, so too can that same child be taught to love, to care, to grow, to sympathize and empathize as a decent human being in a world that, realistically, cares little for whichever way the child chooses to swing. _

**[] [] []**

_August 28__th__, 2012 / Glasswater High School / 11:00 AM _

The moment the bell rang signaling lunch, Noah sprung out of his seat and skipped through the door. Robin had come to school late today and he was eager to check up on her condition to see whether anything had changed. When he had inquired her by way of texting, she mentioned her desire to talk about it in person rather than through impersonal letters and numbers. No doubt Matthew was already by her side, dutiful and loyal as always. Noah smiled, slung his arm through the other sling of his backpack, and shoved his way past some students in the hallway.

He rounded the corner and slammed straight into a thick, muscular, tree-trunk of an arm.

Noah fell back onto his haunches and held a hand to his face. Dazed, he looked up and met Seth's bright eyes, clean, straight teeth and chiseled, but elegant features. This was Seth alright, and he looked as happy as he had the last time he met with Noah.

The giant of a student extended his arm to Noah. For a second, Noah could only stare in amazement at Seth's thick build.

_I could do gymnastics off of that thing. _

Seth, apparently having gained the ability to read minds, chuckled and grabbed Noah's hand without asking. He hauled the drained young man up to his feet and lightly swept his large hands down Noah's clothes, wiping away strips of imaginary dust off of Noah's pants and shirt.

"Long time, no see." Seth chuckled.

"S-Seth!" Noah said, surprised. "What have you been up to these days?"

"Oh, you know." Seth thumbed his nose and wrapped his arm around Noah's neck, bringing the significantly smaller underclassmen into an uncomfortable headlock. Unlike before, Noah did not struggle and settled into Seth's display of affection with a warm smile. Seth patted the top of Noah's head and started walking them in the opposite direction of the lunchroom. "Senior stuff. You wouldn't understand."

Noah dragged his feet a little and shifted his attention back towards the lunchroom. For some reason, Seth either didn't seem to notice or was choosing to intentionally ignore Noah. He just walked further down the hallway with Noah in tow, a mysterious smile dancing on his lips. Noah looked up at Seth with worry.

"Don't look at me like that." Seth scolded. "You're making me feel like I've done something wrong."

"I'm… sorry." Noah said. "You've been away for a while so I was wondering when we'd get to hang out again, you know?"

Seth gave Noah an odd look whilst blowing a steady stream of air from his lips. "Man, can I just make you my little bro right now or something?"

"I'm only a year younger than you." Noah pointed out.

"Sure doesn't look that way!" Seth shot back, bringing Noah's neck in even tighter. "Hey, what do you say you and me go out after school and grab some hamburgers, huh? We don't really have any of those fancy chain restaurants but who needs 'em? I trust the chefs here in Glasswater way more than some pimply teenager."

_I'd like that. _

Noah wanted to say those words, but given the circumstances…

…_Why did it have to be today? _

"I don't think I'll be able to make it." Noah said.

A flash of pain darkened Seth's brows, but it was gone before Noah could soften the impact of the rejection. "Man, you must be getting popular with the ladies quick. Barely have time for the bros anymore, huh?" Seth playfully grinded his knuckles into Noah's scalp. "I'm going to have to go to the pet store later and buy you a collar. Young pups like you need to be put on a leash before they start going wild!"

Noah laughed genuinely and whole-heartedly. For a moment, he honestly considered standing up Nathaniel and spending the rest of the day with Seth. The temptation was strong, but he steeled himself against it and stuck to his decision. True, he hadn't seen Seth in what felt like a while. True, he wasn't particularly keen on seeing Nathaniel alone.

But Seth could wait.

As the self-appointed de-facto guardian of his friend's and family's lives, he could not idly stand by and ignore the all-too-real real possibility of those very lives being in danger. Choosing to deflect a simple hang-out was a small sacrifice, perhaps, but it was a sacrifice Noah was prepared to make a thousand times over if it meant ensuring the safety of all of those around him. It mattered little whether or not Matthew, Robin, or any of the others actually wanted that protection. He would give it to them.

Some might have called Noah's initiative naiveté of the highest order. Looking at it from a utilitarian point of view, Noah didn't owe any of these people anything and the same went vice versa. Some with Noah's abilities might have demanded power for use as leverage in exchange for that protection. Others might have asked for monetary compensation. Others still would have asked for something venturing sexual gratification.

Noah wished for none of those things.

And now that he was really putting his mind to the grind, he didn't know what, if anything, he wanted out of all of this. He could take the easy route and claim he was doing all of this out of the kindness of his heart but was that really the truth? Was he really so generous that he would devote so much of his time and energy to a task that, in practice, rewarded him with very little? Wind the clock back a few years and Noah would have flat-out said no, but now, he wasn't so sure.

"So," Seth said after a quiet while, "is this because of a girl?"

_Maybe I'm doing this for self-validation. _Noah thought. _Or, maybe it really is just to meet a bunch of hot girls… _

Noah mentally slapped himself.

_I'm not that shallow. I'm not! _Noah stopped. _Yeah, I'm not! _

"Yes."

_Shhhiiit! _

A sly grin crept at Seth's lips as he turned his head with a suggestive wink. "Aw, shit. I knew it." He stopped as they neared the exit door to the building. Rays of light struck through the glass pane and lit up the smile beaming on Seth's face as he faced Noah with folded arms. "So it _is _a girl. What's her name? I bet I already know her."

It went without saying that Noah had to keep his meeting with Nathaniel a secret from Seth. There was no telling what he would do if he figured out that he was meeting with someone so dangerous. In addition to that, there was no way of knowing what Nathaniel would talk about when he met with him. If Nathaniel spilled the beans about Noah and company's operations, it was very possible that that could lead to a whole new bout of problems.

"She wants to keep it on the down-low for the time being." Noah lied, and not easily. "If I could, I would. Don't take it personally."

"So she's the bashful type, hm?" Seth smirked and opened the door, showing them both out into the fresh air. He openly inhaled and began to stroll through the crowded courtyard of Glasswater High School. His eyes were casually passing left and right, eyeing a variety of girls who all waved to him as they passed. "Type B, Type B, Type B… now that I think about it, we don't really have that many quiet ones here at Glasswater. Go figure."

"Guess I'm in the clear." Noah shrugged helplessly.

"But that should make it _easier _to identify her!" Seth admonished. "It's definitely not Robin, I don't think she's really your type besides. Is it Martha?" Noah shook his head and he knew he would be shaking his head for every name that followed. He didn't even know a Martha. "Stephanie? Kaila? Danielle? Rosaline? Kate? Cathy? Klariza?"

"No, no, and no." Noah smiled and pumped his fist triumphantly. "Battleship not sunk!"

"…Nah, it couldn't be." Seth leered at Noah while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Could it be… Lucia?"

The name caught Noah off-guard. "Lucia?"

"Guess not then." Seth waved his hand. "Never mind then."

"Wait, I want to know more." Noah interjected. "Isn't she…?"

"Nope." Seth shook his head. "That's why I was so skeptical about it. But I can tell she's not the one. Don't worry about it, it's complicated and it's not important, okay?"

Seth's reluctance to answer his question raised many questions. What exactly was the relationship between Griffith and Lucia? Griffith had yet to give him an answer, Lucia had been extremely vague about the whole thing, and Seth flat-out refused to let on any more than he was willing to. Obviously, Noah knew better than to press the matter but letting the subject matter slip away from him didn't kill any of his interest in it. For the time being, Noah would let it go, but with the way things were developing in Glasswater he knew it couldn't say a secret forever.

"Well… just because she wants to keep it a secret doesn't mean she's Type B!" Noah pointed out, changing the subject as to Seth's wishes. "Food for thought."

"…Damn." Seth gave him a somewhat annoyed look and placed his hands on his hips in a subtle admittance of defeat. "I guess you're right. That means it could be anybody." He gave it a little more thought and tapped Noah's forehead while giving him an accusatory glare. "You could also be lying to me about who it is. You're not leading me on, are you Noah?"

And just like that, the lighthearted tone of the conversation went ice-cold in seconds. Noah swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled weakly at Seth. He shook his head with slow, deliberate movements. Now was the time to tread carefully. "I-It's not like that at all!" Noah pleaded, struggling to maintain the false sincerity in his voice. "She's really shy about our relationship and she doesn't want the whole school talking about us."

The glint of doubt never truly left Seth's eyes, but his warm smile eventually returned as did his casual demeanor.

"Aw, I don't know why I ever doubted you! C'mere!" Once more, Seth's thick arms went around Noah's neck and he was pulled into another friendly headlock. "Alright, Noah. I respect your right to a relationship and I solemnly swear that I will not stalk you after school and find out who your girlfriend is with my own two eyes."

"You were planning to stalk me!?" Noah cried indignantly.

"Don't get mad!" Seth pouted. "And, well, yeah. I don't know if you've been keeping up with all the gossip but your taste in women has been a subject of particular interest to the fine ladies here at Glasswater. First you get real cozy with Robin and I hear the other day you were getting a little close for comfort with Lucia? I dunno' if the rumors are true but, man… talk about a ladykiller."

Ladykiller was the very last word Noah would have used to describe himself.

"Don't look at me like that!" Seth said, defensively. "Why don't you ask one of the girls here what they think? Get the answer straight from the horse's mouth."

"I'd rather not." Noah said, wrinkling his nose and looking away from Seth.

Deliberately, Noah's eyes swept the courtyard and there, off in the distance, he spotted a lone figure approaching fast. Long, dark hair swishing left and right and eyes tired, but bright, there was no mistaking it: it was Robin. The girl with a chip on her shoulder wore a weary smile and she looked much better than she had just a few days ago. Her hands were stuffed into her oversized hooded sweatshirt and there was a slight bounce to her step as she matched up with Noah and Seth's casual stride.

"Hey, hey!" Robin greeted, spiritedly. "How're you fine gentleman doin'?"

Noah met her tentative gaze with a warm smile and tousled her hair with his hand. She gave him an annoyed pout and shrank back from his touch, sticking out her tongue and leaning forward, directing her attention towards Seth.

"Gross." Seth teased. "What do you think you're doing, interrupting our date?"

"Um, duh!" Seth rolled his eyes, his tone mimicking that of a stereotypically overzealous homosexual. "Can't you see we're on a romantic stroll through the town? Learn to be more considerate, Robin!"

"Well, pardon my rudeness!" Robin bowed mockingly. "But I'm afraid I'm gonna' have to borrow the groom for a sec, if that's cool with you." Her eyes flickered to Noah and she put a hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle. "Or would he be the bride…?"

Seth grinned and stroked his chin, eyeing Noah with mischevious eyes. "It'd take a bit of work, but I think we could make Noah pass off as my bride… what do you think, Robin?"

There was a low, mischievous snicker as Robin rubbed her palms together and leered at Noah's body. "Oh, I'm gettin' excited!" She said as she poked and prodded at Noah's hair and face. "I ain't no fashionista or nothin', but I think we could make this happen."

"It's settled." Seth clapped his hands and high fived Robin behind Noah who, currently, was wearing an expression that was confused as it equally was offended. "This weekend, Noah's getting a makeover."

"Yay!" Robin, in a spurt of out-of-character girlish glee, raised her arms and bounced up and down on her feet. "Makeover, makeover!"

Unfortunately for all involved, Noah's patient had worn thoroughly thin. He didn't particularly enjoy being the butt of jokes, especially when it involved completely eviscerating his masculinity through the implication of cross-dressing. His clenched jaw unhinged and he bore his fangs.

"Enough of this crap!" He yelled while stomping his foot indignantly. "What do you want, Robin? Make it quick!"

Immediately, Noah regretted being so insensitive towards her. For a moment, Robin looked genuinely hurt by his inconsideration, but she just snorted and threw a harsh glare towards the ground. She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet and shrugged dismissively.

"…Nothin', really." Robin muttered. "Just wanted to catch up with ya', haven't really been around and all… but whatever, it can wait I guess."

Without giving Noah the chance to apologize, she turned around in a huff and stomped off with loud, heavy steps. Noah watched her leave with his jaw hanging open in shock. Had he really just done that?

A pair of footsteps shuffled next to him and he felt a reassuring hand clamp down over his shoulder. He looked up at Seth who was smiling at him sympathetically. Noah didn't have to guess. Seth had gotten the completely wrong impression about what had just transpired between him and Robin.

"Hey, cheer up bro."

_Oh lord, here we go. _

"I know what you're going through." Seth nodded his head sagely, eyes closed and lips set in a straight line. "I know exactly what's going through your head right now. You must be thinking, 'How do I apologize?' 'How do I make it up to her?' 'Why is she being so difficult?' Worry not, Noah. The best thing to do in this situation is…"

Giving Seth the benefit of the doubt, Noah leaned in.

"…Nothing at all."

Noah's expression went flat.

"What."

"Dude, trust me!" Seth suddenly became very excited and he openly punched his fist into his palm. "I got you covered, like I said, I know what you're going through. Trust the cards! She'll be thinking about it when she's alone and when she's had enough up to where she can't stand it, boy, just you wait, she'll be coming back asking for _your _forgiveness!

"Seth, I thought we already established it wasn't Robin?"

Mid-sentence, Seth's mouth snapped shut. He puckered his lips inward and made an odd face before he raised his hands in embarrassment and laughed awkwardly.

"…Not that I don't appreciate your input or anything." Noah sighed.

"Hey, it was worth a try." Seth said, looking after where Robin had disappeared off to. "Do you want to look for her? She seemed genuinely upset."

"If you don't mind." Noah said with a troubled smile.

"Hey, man, we got time." Seth winked jokingly. "Go apologize, before lunch ends. We can talk some more later."

"Thanks, Seth." Noah moved to shoulder his way through the crowd, but he stopped and turned back to face Seth. "Really, thanks."

"Ah, stop, you're making me blush." Seth laughed with a playful shove. "Go on, get out of here."

Noah nodded and then made off to search for Robin.

**[] [] []**

_I watch humanity with callous eyes. My inclinations favor the soldier just as much as it favors the terrorist the soldier dedicates his life to eradicating. The struggle of man is not a futile one, nor is it one that is fruitless in endeavor or cause; there is purpose in it, quantifiable purpose. There is an odd beauty to it that I do not fully comprehend. The limits of my abilities at present prevent me from testing man in ways to my own liking. So does the mind of a child require time to fully mature into that of an adult, so too do my abilities require time to ripen. _

**[] [] []**

_August 28__th__, 2012 / Glasswater High School / 11:50 AM _

"Jerk… jerk… jerk…!"

Robin ignored the eyes watching her as she kicked out at a vending machine. In her fit of anger, she had purchased a bag of chips but as fate would have it, the bag had gotten stuck against the glass of the machine. She glared at it, saw Noah's face shimmer into view, and then became even angrier. Robin whipped around and saw a small crowd of people around her. She glanced at the clocks floating above everyone's heads.

Everyone's clock was at a different time.

They all moved at a different pace.

Aside from those two factors, Robin was ignorant as to their purpose.

She learned to grow accustomed to it over the past few days. Though the clocks never failed to unsettle her, they were starting to become more like background noise rather than an outright distraction.

_Ain't like they're hurtin' me… _Robin thought resignedly. _Unlike that jerkwad! _

The honest truth of the matter was that Robin didn't know why she was getting so upset over Noah's impatience. Robin grew up in the city and as such, she had developed layers upon layers of tough skin. She knew how to take heat and she knew how to dish it out just as well. She knew she was a resilient person and that there was very little anyone could say to hurt her feelings. If someone wanted to get under her skin, they had to dig deep and they had to hit hard. Robin had been called every name in the book and then some. She had left that life behind and was trying to become someone better, but it was hard and Robin would not deny there were times where she simply wanted to be the bad guy.

This was one of those times.

Somehow, Noah managed to break through that skin, and with what? He hadn't even cussed her out or called her names or anything like that—he had just lost his patience with her. Did she really care so much about that? And if so, why? Robin scratched her head in frustration and delivered one last kick to the vending machine.

The bag fell.

A loud, terrible droning sound suddenly exploded within her skull.

Reflexively, Robin's eyes and mouth snapped open and she fell to her knees in shock. The sound pierced her skull and made her weak-kneed, dizzy. It was a high-pitched siren wailing inside of her brain at a pitch she could not handle. Robin desperately clamped her hands over her ears and tried to stop the noise, but it was useless. The noise was coming from inside of her head. It was not something she could stop.

Robin's head reared up and she scrambled on her hands and feet towards the vending machine, the length of her back colliding with the metal. She let out a shriek of pain as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

_It hurts! _Robin thought, trying to mentally block out the siren. _It hurts, God! _

Bystanders who had been watching Robin's temper tantrum devolve into a fit of pain stood by in shock and confusion. A handful of random students gathered in a small group around her, asking Robin if she was okay and whether they needed to call the nurse. The voices coalesced into one big mess of noise that only served to make Robin feel even worse. Her eyes were jammed shut and her face was twisted into one of agony.

The noise of the siren exploded and her eyes flew open, the pain almost causing her to pass out.

Robin's eyes widened in horror.

The things that she saw in that moment she could not describe, even as she processed the sights as they came to her in vivid detail. Robin's eyes went blank with shock as her gaze descended from the blood-red heavens to the people gathered around her.

Everyone's clocks were cracked. The white background had turned a deep, dark, deadly shade of crimson-red. In her distorted hallucinations, they looked less like humans and more like demons: black, formless shapes that shifted and swirled in a macabre dance of ridicule. They jeered at her, taunted her, told her horrible things, threatened to hurt her, to assault her, to do unspeakable acts of horror to her body.

Robin's hands flew up to her face and she wept loudly and pitifully.

From within the mass of terrible monsters came a bright, shining light. The sea of creatures parted and gave way to a single person who reached out to her.

An arm went under her armpit and Robin felt herself being pulled up to the light.

She surrendered without a fight.

"N… Noah?"

**[] [] []**

_My patience does not waver, nor does it wear thin. Humanity has a purpose; perhaps not one that is immediately clear to one who stands at a distance such as I, but indeed, there is purpose. I too, have a purpose. I too, wish to understand the human condition, the human spirit. _

_What does man as an entity crave? Is it peace? Is it love? Is it acceptance?_

_Or is it destruction? _

**[] [] []**

_August 28__th__, 2012 / Glasswater High School / 12:00 AM _

Mr. Schrodinger's lecture droned on as per usual. There were thirty minutes remaining before class ended. Noah sighed remorsefully and held a hand to his head, pulling out his cell phone beneath the safety of his desk and checking his phone.

No new messages.

He grunted and shoved it back into his pocket. His search for Robin during lunch had ended fruitlessly. His talk with Seth had taken up a vast majority of the allotted 30 minutes and he was forced to conclude his hunt before gaining any headway. Noah felt terrible about the whole thing and had been texting Robin endlessly since the end of lunch, asking her where she was and that he was sorry for snapping at her.

_I'm so stupid… _Noah moaned, burying his head into his arms.

"Excuse me, who are you?" Mr. Schrodinger suddenly spoke up from the front. "And what are you doing in my classroom?"

"Where is he!?" A voice shouted. "Where is that bastard!?"

Interested, Noah looked up and met the furious gaze of one Alice Stonewall. The beanie-donning senior's teeth glinted in the light and she strode forward, deftly maneuvering her way over student backpacks littering the aisles and shoving past the shoulders of students hanging over the edge of their seats. Noah backed up in his seat. The expression Alice wore was one he had never seen on another human's face in his lifetime. She was livid. Even the frizzled hair sticking out from under her cap looked angry.

"What are you—"

_Slap! _

The class gasped as Alice's hand struck Noah's cheek. Even Mr. Schrodinger—who had been calling out to her demanding that she return to the front of the classroom—was reduced to silence. Alice's breaths were long and hard, and her nostril flared as she resisted the rising temptation to slap Noah's other cheek.

Noah was speechless. Instead of retaliating, he just looked up at her in bewilderment. He wasn't even mad that she had ditched her own class and found his just to smack him across the face. All he wanted to know was what had driven her to go to such extreme lengths.

"Don't you play dumb you fucking asshole." Alice snarled. "You know exactly what you did."

"I…" Noah's jaw hung open dumbly. "I don't…"

"Think!" Alice yelled, startling Noah out of his astonishment. "Think for once in your goddamn life and remember! It's Robin, you insensitive prick! What did you do to her!?"

The name was slow to process in Noah's brain. "R-Robin!" Noah immediately shot up in his desk which caused Alice to take a defensive step back. "Robin! You found her? Where is she?"

"In the nurse's office." Alice spat angrily. "No thanks to you."

"What?" Noah asked, puzzled. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"The nerve of this guy…" Alice shook her head in disbelief, grinding her teeth and clenching her fists to her hips. "Near the end of lunch, I'm heading to my class and I see a small crowd of people huddled up near the vending machines. I check it out and guess what I find? No, shut up, don't open your mouth. It's Robin."

Alice paused, took a deep breath, and then continued. "She's curled up near the machine and she's crying, saying it hurts over and over again. The poor girl passed out, but just before she does, she says one name. _Your _name, to be exact. Noah-fucking-Scofield." Alice scoffed loudly and folded her arms. "I don't know what you did to her to make her that way, but mark my words Scofield: if I ever see your criminal ass near my friend again, I won't hesitate to call the cops."

Noah's eyes were wide with horror as Alice callously threatened him. His vision started to blur and when he brought his hand to his eyes, he realized that he had begun to cry. Noah clutched a hand to his chest and felt with his own skin the rapid cadence of his heart thudding in his chest. He could feel his body willing him to go to Robin. He knew what he had to do. Without another word, he rose up and made to leave the classroom.

Unfortunately, Alice was having none of it.

The furious senior placed her hands on Noah's chest and shoved him back into his seat. The class—along with the teacher—watched on in stunned silence. Not one soul said a word.

"Please, let me go." Noah begged, clutching his wrist tightly. "I need to see her."

"Fuck you." Alice sneered.

"Alice," Noah pleaded pathetically, "Don't do this." He rose up from his chair once more and tried to push her away, but the stubborn senior had no intention of letting him through. Alice shook her head in disgust and threw her voice over her shoulder towards Schrodinger who was standing shock-still at his podium.

"Hey, Mr. Schrodinger," Alice called, her eyes never leaving Noah's. "Couldn't Scofield be expelled for leaving the classroom mid-session?"

Noah watched Mr. Schrodinger slowly snap out of his daze. He blinked and swallowed uneasily. "Y-Yes, that's correct." The old man affirmed. "However the same goes for you as well. I don't know who your homeroom teacher is, but I must ask you again to leave the classroom. Not only have you wasted our time but you have also assaulted one of my students. Leave now before I summon the principal to the room."

"I hear you." Alice replied. "I'm leaving. Do me a favor and don't let this creep walk out of here." Alice shoved Noah back into his chair and pivoted around on her feet, stomping away from him and out of the classroom.

The class was slack-jawed as Alice disappeared from view.

Noah slowly lowered his head into his arms. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Noah could hear Schrodinger asking him if he was alright and that he could visit Robin once class was over.

For the remainder of the lecture, he did not stir.

**[] [] []**

_Watching humans for a day versus watching them for a millennium yields no clear answer either way. They are fickle beings and their desires flip at the drop of a coin. They will love one another in one moment and in the next they will be at each other's throats like ravenous savages. In the grand scheme of the universe's construction, their existence has been but a hiccup. Yet that existence has been a tumultuous one filled with liars, thieves, tyrants, and kings. _

_In these times, however, there is much reason for excitement. _

**[] [] []**

_August 28__th__, 2012 / Glasswater High School / 2:00 PM_

Noah left Schrodinger's classroom in a mystified daze. Mr. Schrodinger had told him that if he needed anything, he could come to him if necessary. Had Noah been in the right state of mind, he would have expressed his gratitude towards his homeroom teacher. Given the circumstances, however, Noah was not in the mood to talk with anyone. When Schrodinger confronted him near the doorway, he had just nodded when needed and said yes in all the right places. His movements were autonomous, acting independently of his brain and his heart.

As Noah sluggishly trudged through the courtyard, he watched dozens upon dozens of students weave around him. His mind was reeling from his confrontation with Alice. It was hard for him to focus on any one thing, especially with his mental stability in the frying pan.

He tried to envision what Robin might have been going through, but his conscience would not let him. The guilt gnawed away at his heart, creating a gaping wide hole.

_Why was she saying my name? _Noah thought bitterly.

His walk brought him to a vending machine hidden in a small alcove off in the darker pits of the courtyard. The area was shaded by a small collection of trees whose branches spanned the entire area. Noah went up to one of the vending machines and stared at the contents. Not sure what he was expecting, he bent down and flipped open the receiver bay where customers collected their items.

A single potato chip bag sat alone at the bottom.

With trembling hands, Noah reached in and withdrew the bag. He stared at it with cold eyes, not sure what to make of it. Somehow, he just knew.

_This is Robin's. _Noah thought.

Suddenly, he felt very ill. Noah dropped the bag and stood up, wiping his hands and stalking away from the shaded alcove. He headed towards the entrance gate and stared at the nurse's office next to the double doors leading to the front desk. A no-nonsense looking businesswoman wearing a tired expression knocked on the door and then walked in when it swung open. Noah blinked and was about to follow, but he stopped and bit his lip hesitantly.

_That must be Robin's surrogate mother. _Noah shut his eyes and shook his head. _I can't. I can't. Not today. _

He closed his eyes and forced himself to walk through the front gate. He didn't want to run into Alice inside of the nurse's office and cause a scene. There was little doubt in his mind that Alice would make good on her promise to call the police on him. She gave off the impression that she was dead-serious about the threats she was making and Noah wasn't in the mood to tempt fate. For now, he would avoid Robin. Whether it was for his benefit or for hers, he wasn't sure.

Slowly, Noah dragged his way through the entrance gate. He sighed when he saw a lone figure propped up against the fence. With reluctant, sluggish steps, Noah made his way over to Nathaniel.

"Noah." Nathaniel turned his head and fiddled with the stick stuck between his teeth.

Noah lifted his gaze off of the ground and glared into Nathaniel's eyes. He didn't hate the young man, but he didn't trust him either. After all, Nathaniel had taken it upon himself just a few days ago to knock him unconscious and drag him back to the pigsty he called home. There were a thousand other things Noah would rather have been doing in that moment, but he knew that this was the most important.

"What did you want?" Noah asked bluntly.

"Cool your jets, hotshot." Nathaniel spat the toothpick out of his mouth and stared Noah down with a formidable glare of his own. "Gotta' say, I like that look in your eyes. All the times you've looked at me I've felt like you were looking down at me from above, but now I feel like we're finally seeing eye to eye."

"Cut to the chase." Noah muttered. His heart was hard. He felt angry. He felt sad. Nathaniel might not have been the most affable person around, but was it fair of him to take out his frustrations on him? Questioning himself like this caused Noah to feel conflict of the worst kind.

"This fuckin' guy." Nathaniel chuckled and stroked his chin. "What's wrong? Asked someone out to prom and got rejected or what?"

Noah's reserve of kindness, by this point completely dry, had driven him to the edge. In spite of the trickle of students still loitering around, Noah grabbed Nathan's jacket and slammed him against the fence. He knew exactly why he was doing this, but in the heat of the moment, he couldn't have cared less. Shocked students nearby watched this unfold, but no one dared to interfere. Everyone knew who the two were, but the expectations of who was doing what to who were completely flipped.

"Shut up!" Noah growled dangerously. "And stop wasting my time!"

Nathaniel snatched Noah's wrist roughly and twisted it behind his back. Noah cried out in pain and felt himself being turned around and jammed face-first into the cold metal of the fence. He could feel Nathaniel's free arm wrapping around his neck.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Nathaniel scolded. "For once I come here just to talk and you fucking threaten me? What is this shit? You were always so damn calm before, what the hell's changed?" There was a derisive snicker. "Maybe I'm finally getting through to you?"

"Not on your life." Noah's voice, though muffled, came through loud and clear.

"Now that's more like it." Nathaniel said. "…I guess."

"…Is this your fucked up way of cheering me up or something?" Noah asked.

Nathaniel's answer came in the form of a hard blow to the side of his head; Noah took careful note of the fact that it was the opposite side of which Nathaniel had injured before. "Don't kid yourself, I'm not here to be your friend and I sure as hell don't want to be. I'm here to talk. That's it."

Noah groaned but was grateful to be let go as he turned around and faced Nathaniel.

"If you really want to talk about that," Noah sighed quietly, "then we should find somewhere that's a little more secluded." Nathaniel opened his mouth to reply, but Noah quickly interjected, "And not your apartment."

"Psh. Suit yourself." Nathaniel withdrew a key from his pocket and headed towards a dilapidated vehicle sitting next to the curb. He flung his body into the driver's seat, revved up the engine, and looked at Noah expectantly.

Noah cast one more forlorn glance over his shoulder towards the nurse's office, and then shook his head and got into Nathaniel's car.

"Sorry, Robin…"

**[] [] []**

_It has so come to pass that the unpredictability of man has led to the birth of a new generation of humans who would change the essence of humanity in ways that all of their logic and math and sciences could never even hope to decipher. The inherent potential in these humans is of great interest. I watch from unblinking shadows, hoping to one day meet these humans in person. I have seen dozens of these humans come and go and they have proved time and time again what remarkable feats they are capable of conquering. I have watched colossal gods the size of skyscrapers tumble and fall to what may as well have been ants to them. In the same vein, these humans have gods just as powerful at their beck and call. _

_There are many who would see this as frightening. _

**[] [] []**

_August 28__th__, 2012 / Glasswater High School / 3:00 PM _

Noah sat on a bench overlooking the beach next to the one person in Glasswater he never thought he'd be here with. He figured his first time here would have been with Griffith, Seth, Robin, Matthew, hell, maybe even Lucia. Instead, he found himself sitting next to Nathaniel Blackwater. The one person in this whole town that he could honestly say he disliked with every fiber of his being.

Nathaniel was busy taking long drags of his cigarette. He was watching the sun testing the waters on the horizon. The bottom half of its luminous circle was hovering just above the sea water.

"So…" Noah spoke up. Nathaniel didn't respond. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I'll cut straight to the chase." Nathaniel turned his head and stared at Noah at a side-glance. "I want you to tell me about what happened that night. I want you to explain to me why I saw what I saw and if you try to lie your way out of this, there will be consequences. David and Monica think I'm starting to lose my mind, but I know what I saw. Start talking."

"What if you don't believe me?"

"Oh, I think you'll find I'm pretty open-minded." Nathaniel sniggered.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Noah sighed. He let his eyes rest on the shore as he prepared himself to tell Nathaniel the truth, the whole truth, but something caught his eye.

A dark shape writhed midway between the incoming waves and the sandy beach. Nathaniel was watching Noah expectantly, not aware of the fact that something else had caught Noah's attention. Noah's mouth opened slowly as he squinted. The dark shape rolled in closer and closer to the beach. Waves of water rolled over the thing, making it hard to identify from where Noah was sitting. He leaned forward on the bench and looked closer.

He nearly choked when he saw what it was. Noah's heart stopped dead in his chest.

A shadow had just appeared on Glasswater's shoreline.

**[] [] []**

_I , however, feel naught but excitement. _

_My anticipation for the future becomes ever stronger with each passing day. Truly, there is no greater pursuit than this._

* * *

**Social Links: **

_Fool (The Team): 2  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 2  
Emperor (Griffith): 2  
Priestess (Lucia): 3  
_**(Reverse!) **_Strength (Alice): 1 – 1 = 0  
Sun (Grace): 1  
_**(Rank Up!) **_Devil (Nathaniel): 1 + 1 = 2  
Moon (David): 1_**  
**_Hermit (Monica): 1  
Lovers (Maria): 1  
_**(New!) **_Hanged Man (Christopher): 0 + 1 = 1  
_**(Rank Up!) **_Tower (Seth): 2 + 1 = 3  
Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 3  
Hierophant (Samuel): 1  
Death (Gwendolyn): 1_


	15. Chapter 15, Conflict

Chapter 15 – Conflict

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | Glasswater High School | 2:38 PM ]**

"What is our destination, Ms. Kennedy?"

Lucia leaned forward in her chair and carelessly tossed her backpack onto the limousine floor. The blue-eyed blonde crossed her legs, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and settled into her cushiony leather seat with a look of pure boredom. She wanted to go anywhere but home, but the unfortunate truth of the matter was that there was nowhere else to go. That was what Griffith was for, but he was not with her and she couldn't be bothered to go looking for him. Lucia watched small clusters of students leave the school animatedly chattering amongst themselves without a care in the world. She scoffed beneath her breath and looked to the man who asked her the question.

"Please take me to the beach." Lucia commanded. "I would very much like to spend some time by the shore contemplating my studies. Is this satisfactory, Arthur?"

A pair of steely gray eyes flickered to Lucia in the rearview mirror. She met them with a blank, passive stare. The eyes refocused onto the road and the owner, Arthur Caxton, cleared his throat.

"You are aware your mother and father prefer it if you would—"

"I know precisely what my parents would prefer." Lucia cut Arthur off. "Which is precisely why I am requesting that you take me there. Let's not make this any more difficult than it needs to be, Arthur."

"Ms. Kennedy," Arthur argued gently, "Please, I implore you to reconsider. The guidelines your parents set out for me insofar as the manner in which I must conduct myself with you becomes stricter and stricter every time you disobey their wishes. I do not want to confine you to the household but at the rate at which you're going…"

"We shall deal with that bridge when we come to it." Lucia huffed. "Now, please, Arthur. We haven't a moment to spare. The sun will be setting in four hours and I'd like to spend some time there before nightfall."

Arthur passed a hand over his face and he turned around in his seat, laying his arm across the driver's headrest. Lucia gave him a pleasant smile, but he was wise to her schemes. Sweet and soft in one moment and then callous and cold in the next. His charge, Lucia Kennedy, was a wily young woman who knew her way around people and all the right ways to exploit their weaknesses. Others—such as her own parents—never quite grew accustomed to that facet of her personality. To Arthur, it was business as usual.

"You will not blame me if I am forced into locking you into your room?"

"Well, I don't remember saying anything about that." Lucia said in a low, husky breath. "You know, Arthur, interpersonal relationships between butlers and maids are forbidden within the household. Such things lead only to heartbreak and me slipping out of the house, or so my father puts it. I would hate it oh-so-very-much to have to bring up your little episode with Amber, the head—"

"Alright, alright!" Arthur panicked, turning around in his seat and buckling himself in. He slipped the limousine key into the ignition and started the vehicle up. "Honestly, I don't know how you remember these things…"

"Really?" Lucia beamed at him in the rearview mirror. "Because of you, I lost my childlike ignorance at the precious young age of seven. How odd it must have been for my father to have his second-grade daughter come up and ask him all about the 'birds and the bees', especially since my parent's marriage has been rather high-and-dry for… oh, I don't know, quite a long time now."

"How are you so sure?"

"A girl has her ways." Lucia shrugged, inspecting her nails.

"It was a rhetorical question, miss." Arthur opened the glove box next to the driver's seat and tossed Lucia a small camera as he studied her expression in the mirror. To his surprise, she seemed visibly impressed. "We took the liberty of uninstalling your surveillance feeds from the master bedroom. I realize you have little respect for the personal privacy of anyone but yourself but how much trouble would it be to _not _spy on your own mother and father?"

"Quite a bit, sadly." Lucia said. "I never know what sort of harebrained schemes they have in store for me. Always need to be prepared, you know!"

"Honestly!"

"Honestly!" Lucia mocked.

"You know I hate that!" Arthur complained.

"You know I hate that!"

"Try me!" Arthur scolded. "I swear upon my mother's grave, I will take you home this instant!"

"Try me!" Lucia shot back. "I swear upon my soon-to-be mother's grave that I will give them scandalous footage of you and the head-maid in the kitchen f—"

"Fine!" Arthur reached back and snatched the tiny camera out of Lucia's lap. "What would you have us do, reinstall it where we found it or—"

"No need." Lucia said. "I have more in places you apparently have yet to discover if that's the only one you've found."

Arthur sighed and bit his lip, glancing at Lucia nervously. "You haven't… told Amber yet, right? That you know? About us?"

"Why would I? I love Amber. She showers me with praise and affection and confectionaries. Amber is like the sister I never had." Lucia wrinkled her nose at Arthur. "And if that's what she is, then you are the older brother I never wanted. Over-protective, always asking me what I'm doing, nosing into my business… how I've managed to keep my sanity over the years is a mystery, even to the likes of such great minds as my own! Wouldn't you agree?"

"I'm only like that because of your mother and father!" Arthur whined.

"Tsk." Lucia hissed. "If only my parents knew how informal and improper you were with me. You'd be out of a job within the hour."

"You wouldn't!"

"I suppose you're correct." Lucia sighed resignedly. "There's no one else I can blackmail into keeping my secrets besides you… you know what that means, don't you?" Lucia scooted forward in her chair and pleasantly wrapped her arms around her escort from behind the driver's seat. "That means you're my favorite!"

Arthur groaned in agony and slammed his face into the steering wheel.

**[] [] []**

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | Glasswater Shoreline | 3:10 PM ]**

Matthew Livingston stabbed at a half-torn can sticking out from within the sand. He brought the aluminum container up to his face and made a face at it. He was at a loss as to how people could be so wasteful and disgusting. Not to say that he considered himself an environmentalist or anything, but there were trash cans littering the beach. Why people felt the need to dispose of trash in such a lazy and revolting way, he would never understand.

Today, Matthew was fulfilling part of the ten-hour community service requirement as needed in order to graduate from high school. He was on a sort of scholarly power trip for the past week and had dedicated entirely too much of his time to schoolwork than what was probably healthy. Now, he found himself missing his best—and only—friends at Glasswater High School: Noah and Robin. Now, he was doing something he didn't even need to complete until next year.

Matthew hazarded a quick glance at the other students accompanying him as part of this collective effort. In total, there were three others.

One of them—the loudest of the bunch—was still very reclusive by normal standards. His name was Ethan and he was a stereotypical nerd to his very core. Every now and then the obese student would awkwardly crash and burn in his attempts to kick-start a conversation amongst the others. Mostly, they involved in-jokes that only someone who heavily invested their time into geek culture would understand. Much to Matthew's horror, he understood all of the references the student made, though he did not answer to any of them.

The second—the not-so-loud-but-not-the-quietest of the bunch—was a foreign exchange student from Japan whose attempts at conversation in the English language were completely unintelligible. Matthew's attempts to communicate with the young man were all met with failure. At the very least, he had gotten a name: Hiro.

The third—the quietest of the bunch—was a red-haired girl who was dressed a little too formally for a beach cleanup. She hadn't said so much as a word since they started.

Frankly, Matthew could sympathize.

Together, the three of them would pick up trash until the clock struck four. At that point, their supervisor would sign off on all of their community service hour sheets and they would then part ways, never to see each other again until graduation.

Matthew didn't know why he hadn't called up Noah or Robin to come with him. It had been a little while since the three of them were together and he missed them quite a bit, especially now in the face of the prevailing awkwardness choking their clean-up. No one seemed to like each other and everyone was eager to leave as soon as was humanly possible.

Desperate for any kind of human contact, Matthew turned to the red-haired girl and prompted some conversation.

"Hey!" His voice cracked right out of the gate, but he kept on trucking. "What's your name?"

The girl winced at Matthew's voice, but she looked at him and gave him the most forced, awkward, lopsided smile he had ever seen. It took all of his courage not to laugh in her face.

"H-H-Hello…" The girl greeted, her voice a deathly quiet whisper. "I-It's Grace."

"Grayson?" Matthew frowned. _Weird name… _"Well, whatever, my name is Matthew. I've never seen you around campus before."

"N-No." Grace corrected, her voice still far too low. "Grace. My name is G-Grace."

"Bryce?" Matthew's eyes widened. "Um… oh, wow. Alright, cool."

With all of the frustration a person of her stature could muster, Grace let out a weak sigh and walked in the opposite direction of Matthew. Matthew tilted his head, puzzled.

"Fail." Ethan snorted.

"…Shut up."

**[] [] []**

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | Glasswater High School | 2:32 PM ]**

Alice Stonewall quietly opened the door to Glasswater High School's nursing office. She peeked her head inside and looked at the white cot in the corner of the room. Her friend and confidant, Robin Tesla, slept soundly on top of the sheets. Going by the vacant desk in the room, the nurse looked to be away. Alice took the opportunity to slip through the door and plop down onto the rolling chair situated next to the cot. She sat there awkwardly for a moment, just watching the rise and fall of Robin's chest.

_Noah Scofield. _To Alice, that name was like poison in a well. She wanted to take it and bury the name and its owner several hundred feet below the surface of the earth where no one would find it ever again. Given the chance, Alice would have journeyed into Robin's memory and wiped everything associated with him clean.

"What did he do to you…?" Alice murmured.

She glanced furtively at the door every now and again, wondering where the nurse could possibly be and when she would show up. Alice rose up from her chair and stepped over to the door, peeking through the rectangular glass pane that looked out onto the campus. Confirming that the nurse was nowhere in sight, Alice quickly walked back to the cot and leaned over Robin's still form.

Cautiously, Alice reached down and grabbed the bottom of Robin's sweater and the shirt underneath. Once she had a firm grasp on both, she lifted them up and exposed Robin's body to the impersonal air of the office.

The first thing she looked for were lumps or bruises. Specifically, Alice was searching for signs of physical abuse or violence. She ran her hands starting from the crest of Robin's neck down the middle of her chest until she reached her stomach. Alice was somewhat surprised to find nothing of note and a tiny pout marred her lips.

Her hands went to undo Robin's belt but she stopped, realized what she was doing, and let go. A frustrated hand went up to her head as Alice rolled back and examined Robin's body from a distance.

The ends of Robin's long dark hair dripped off the edges of the white cot and her right knee was drawn up to her body. Her head was turned slightly to the left, giving Alice a perfect view of her sleeping face. Strands of Robin's bangs partially obscured the girl's closed eyes. Alice always knew her friend Robin was pretty, but she had never gotten the chance to look at her close up like this, especially given the fact that Robin was never one to stay still for any given period of time. Now was a good opportunity to get to know her in ways she had always been curious about.

Alice's heart skipped a beat as she slowly inched forward on the balls of the rolling chair. Tentatively, she raised a hand to Robin's face. Her fingers caressed Robin's eyes, her nose, her lips, everything. Alice's face grew slightly warmer when she realized that Robin's clothes were still pulled up to her neck.

In her life, Alice had been with many men. From what Alice had gathered in the two years she had known her, Robin had been with none. And she knew that Robin preferred that number to stay at zero.

It was becoming harder for Alice to think normally. Her mind spun with thoughts that made her blush.

Hands trembling and knees weak, Alice laid a flat palm across Robin's stomach, feeling her smooth skin between her fingers. Her curiosity grew more and more with every heated, passing second. Alice's other hand supported Robin's head as she brought it upwards closer to hers. For one, mind-numbing moment, Alice's lips brushed against Robin's.

_I thought I was over this… _

The sound of adults talking snapped Alice out of her self-wrought daze. In record time, she pulled down Robin's sweater and adjusted her posture on the cot. Alice shot up from the chair and kicked it towards the opposite side of the nurse's desk. Once that was done, the panicked girl flung herself onto the visitor's bench running tangent to the cot.

As soon as Alice's bottom landed on the seat, the door opened and Glasswater High School's nurse stepped through accompanied by a serious-looking businesswoman. Alice, still somewhat inebriated by her close-up encounter with a sleeping Robin, perked up and smiled at the two women.

"H-Hi!" Alice stood up, almost falling off the bench and losing her balance.

"…Ms. Stonewall." The nurse said, finding Alice's name on her tongue.

"Y-Yeah, I was here earlier." Alice laughed awkwardly. "I'm glad that you remembered. How has Robin been?"

"She's been doing fine." The nurse went to her desk and flicked through some papers scattered across the top. "Sounds like Ms. Tesla had an anxiety attack. Her vitals have stabilized since passing out. She hasn't woken up yet but she should be alright. Just to be on the safe side, I'm recommending that she takes the day off tomorrow to rest up. I don't want her out and about, exerting unnecessary strain."

_Good. _Alice thought with a grateful smile.

Alice kept what Robin had said at the end of her episode a secret. It wasn't that she wanted to protect Scofield or anything, but there was something off about their relationship. She hated Scofield and she wished he would leave Robin alone, but Alice wasn't stupid. She was smart enough to know that there was something going on between them.

Whatever that was, however, was still a mystery.

The stoic businesswoman crossed her arms and approached the cot, flashing Alice a blank stare. She gazed down at Robin from above and, with the back of her hand, stroked Robin's cheeks with a unique tenderness only a mother was really capable of.

There was, however, a sort of hollowness to the woman's eyes that unsettled Alice to the very bone. It was like the woman was doing this only because affection was expected of her in a situation like this. Alice was aware that it was a lot to assume from such a simple action, but she prided herself on her ability to read people. Something was off about this woman.

It hit Alice, then. This was Robin's mother who she had run into that night.

Immediately, Alice stood up from the bench and bowed to the woman. She had been taught to always respect her elders, regardless of her inclinations towards them.

"Mrs. Tesla!" Alice said, drawing the woman's attention towards herself. "Please accept my apology for intruding on you so late at night!"

"…What on earth are you talking about?" Mrs. Tesla said.

Alice raised her head in surprise and met Mrs. Tesla's puzzled expression.

"Don't you remember me? I… barged in on you late at night and asked to see your daughter, not considering how late it was. It was rude of me and I wanted to apologize for bothering you! If there's anything I can do to make up for wasting your time, don't hesit—"

"I have no idea what you're going on about." Mrs. Tesla said. "I'm only here to check up on my daughter, nothing more, nothing less. I'm sorry, but it seems you've got me mixed up with someone else's mother."

_The fuck? _Alice thought, confused. _That's… _

"A-Are you sure?" Alice asked. "I could have sworn—"

"—_Quite _sure." Alice's mother interrupted, her tone annoyed.

A weak moan suddenly caught the attention of everyone in the room. Alice's eyes snapped to Robin who was shifting on her cot. Her body moved on instinct, but she caught herself mid-stride and relegated herself to the visitor's bench. She didn't want to make a scene in front of the two other adults in the room.

Much as she would have liked to otherwise.

"Honey?" Mrs. Tesla spoke, her tone unnaturally sweet and flighty. "Robin, I'm here. The school called and informed me that you passed out during lunch. How are you feeling now?"

Robin's eyes were lidded as she propped herself up on her elbows. They trembled from the effort and it looked as if she were on the verge of passing out once again. The weary girl's gaze shifted from one person to the next, identifying each person in the room turn by turn.

"Mom…" Robin croaked. "What are you…?"

"The nurse says you passed out due to stress." Mrs. Tesla whispered, stroking Robin's face with the back of her hand. "Are you feeling better? If you're okay, I'm going to take you home. You won't be going to school tomorrow since the nurse thinks you need to take a day off. Is that alright with you, sweetie?"

Robin's eyes shifted to the nurse.

"You're free to leave whenever you please." The nurse confirmed.

The still-groggy girl's attention wandered to Alice who watched these processions with subdued anxiety. Truth be told, Alice was eager to ask Robin what, truly, had happened. Though all medical signposts pointed to Robin having an anxiety attack, Alice knew the truth stretched far deeper than that. When Alice's eyes met Robin's, she could see it. She could see Robin's scatterbrained mind pleading to let out the truth to someone she trusted fully and completely

Alice, rather self-righteously, knew she was such a person…

…And, as much as she hated to admit it, so was Noah Scofield.

**[] [] []**

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | Glasswater Shoreline | 3:32 PM ]**

_No, no, no! _

Noah flung all caution to the wind, rising up from the bench and quickly making his way over to the railing. He pulled himself up and over and ignored the shrill cries of Nathaniel who was commanding him to return to the bench. How could he ignore such a creature—no less, a creature from the other realm—showing up here in the real world? What was it doing here and how did it get here? Noah's mind raced with questions that only served to heighten the panic rising like the bile sloshing around in his throat.

"What the fuck Scofield!?" Nathaniel snapped, stumbling out of his seat and grabbing Noah's shoulder. "What the hell are you trying to pull?" He quickly scanned the shoreline and, upon seeing nothing of interest, spun Noah around and pulled him in by his collar. "No one's out there. Get a grip Scofield."

Noah tore himself away from Nathaniel and leapt over the railing, tripping over his feet and face-planting into the sand when he landed on the other side.

"Hey, shit-for-brains!" Nathaniel called, leaning over the railing and looking down at Noah. "Trying to run away? You probably won't believe this, but I used to do track in middle school. Your ass ain't going anywhere."

Ignoring Nathaniel's taunts, Noah stood up and fixed his gaze onto the shadow stumbling around blindly around the beach. It was a shadow he did not recognize: a beautiful female warrior with long, golden hair wielding a spear not unlike Odin's riding atop the back of a magnificent, unearthly stallion.

The bottom portion of the shadow fell to its knees and the rider on top looked up at the sky in a daze.

Dumbfounded, Nathaniel watched Noah stagger around in the sand. He watched in awe as Scofield raised his hand towards some imaginary stranger in the water. Something occurred to Nathaniel and he felt the need to voice his concerns.

"Scofield, are you drunk?"

His question was met with silence.

"P…" Noah felt like a fool. Technically, he was in danger. Technically, so was everyone else on the beach. He was also painfully aware of the fact that Nathaniel's eyes were trained on him, not to mention the eyes of others who were noticing Noah standing there in the tide like an idiot. Everything he did, everything he said, Nathaniel would see. Planning on telling Nathaniel the truth didn't eliminate the embarrassment. This felt all kinds of wrong.

"Persona!"

The seconds ticked by.

Nothing happened.

Slowly, but surely, the shadow began to gain awareness.

"Please tell me you're drunk, Scofield." Nathaniel sighed, rubbing his temples. "Or else our next stop might have to be the mental hospital." When his taunts were met, once again, with silence, Nathaniel followed Noah's cue and jumped over the railing. He slid down the small, sandy slope with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. The hood covering the dome of his beanie slipped backwards onto his shoulders as he came to a gentle stop behind Noah.

"P-Persona!"

Other denizens farther down the beach were beginning to look in Noah's direction. Although Nathaniel didn't consider Noah as anything even remotely approaching the definition of a friend, he still felt embarrassed for the both of them. He roughly grabbed Noah's shoulder again and spun him around. Nathaniel drilled his finger into Noah's chest and glared at him beneath the brim of his beanie.

"Stop this." Nathaniel ordered. "Before I hurt you for real."

"You don't understand!" Noah sputtered. "There's… ugh, just let me go! I'll explain it to you in a minute!"

"Oh no you don't!" Nathaniel held on to Noah tight as the panicked youth tried to spin around towards the ocean again. "Why don't you explain it to me now while we're sitting pretty here on the beach?" He casually looked around at a handful of people whose eyes were fixated on the two of them. He looked up at the lifeguard watchtower and cursed as a familiar young man emerged from within.

Griffith.

Nathaniel caught the look of surprise on Griffith's face as the athlete of Glasswater High School squinted at Noah. Griffith ducked into the watchtower and emerged with a pair of binoculars in hand. Furious at his luck, Nathaniel ground his teeth together and began hauling Noah away from the watchtower. Unfortunately, Noah wasn't making it any easier on him as the young man actively struggled against Nathaniel's dominance, dragging his feet in the sand and pushing and pulling every which way.

"People are watching, Scofield." Nathaniel glanced over his shoulder and nearly threw a fit when he spotted Griffith clambering down the watchtower's ladder.

"Nathaniel, please!" Noah pulled extra hard away from Nathaniel and unceremoniously fell into the sand. "It's dangerous here, you need to leave!"

"_What's _dangerous!?" Nathaniel roared, hovering over Noah like a rabid dog. "The fucking tide? You're batshit insane Scofield, you know that? I thought you were just another cocky upstart who needed to be taught a lesson, but in reality, you're just fucking loony! Persona? What the hell is that, a pill? A new type of weed? Foreign brand of alcohol? _What_!?"

"Yo, Noah!"

"Goddamn it!" Nathaniel kicked at the sand and turned away.

"Hey, Noah!" Griffith put his hand on Noah's shoulder and cocked his head. "Saw you from the watchtower and had to say hi! What are you doin' here? It's not Friday so it isn't like there are any girls to hook up with here…"

Offhandedly, Noah muttered something incoherently under his breath as he got up from the sand and stalked away from Griffith and Nathaniel. Griffith watched Noah leave with a slight pout and directed his attention towards a livid looking Nathaniel.

"What's his deal?"

**[] [] []**

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | Glasswater High School | 3:20 PM ]**

"I'm surprised your mom let you go so easily. Didn't she want you to rest?"

Robin didn't answer Alice's comment as the two of them entered Alice's car in the student parking lot. A heavy, tension-filled silence permeated the air between them and Alice desperately wanted to close the gap. Although Robin had been all too eager to accompany Alice on a short trip around the block, she was quiet as the night now that they were alone.

"Robin, you can talk to me now." Alice urged as she locked the car doors. "It's just you and me now. We're friends. You know you can tell me anything."

"…Alice." Robin looked at Alice with furrowed brows. She was having much difficulty finding the right words to express her scattered thoughts. "It's tough… trying to put this the right way without makin' me sound like a crazy, but…"

Alice stayed silent, allowing Robin the environment necessary to form coherent thoughts. This was important and she wanted to give Robin the benefit of the doubt in order to explain her recent issues.

"I ain't even s'posed to be tellin' you any of this stuff." Robin mumbled, scratching her head. "But now I ain't so sure. Real scary things have been happenin' to me and I wanted…" Robin bit her tongue and sighed. The rest of that would have been '_to bring it up with Noah_' but he was angry with her. It was anger over a trivial matter, sure, but for him to get so easily upset with her over a simple joke was hurtful. What little time Robin spent with Noah painted the picture of someone with limitless kindness and patience, but now she was thinking that perhaps that wasn't the case.

"Wanted to talk to someone about it?" Alice finished hopefully.

"I guess." Robin shrugged. "It's real complicated and if I told you, you'd probably think I went nuts."

"This…" Alice started uncomfortably, "This is about Noah, right?"

Robin blinked. "Yeah. How…?"

"Look, Robin, I've been meaning to talk to you about this." Alice said as she shifted in her seat. "I'm going to be straight with you: I don't like Noah. I don't know what he's done to you or if he's hurt you or anything—"

A confused frown crossed Robin's lips and she visibly recoiled away from Alice. "Hurt me? Noah ain't touched me once, ever. The hell are you talkin' about?"

"Doesn't change the fact that I think the guy's bad news." Alice continued. She figured that Robin would defend Noah's honor, but she wasn't going to be dishonest with her friend.

"Hold up a sec, you're gonna' have to fill me in on some details 'cause I don't think we're playin' with a full deck right now. What's Noah done to make you hate him so much?"

"August 23rd." Alice saw the cringe on Robin's face, but she didn't pursue it. "I'm driving back to my house and I see your friend out for a late night jog in the town. In my infinite wisdom, I ask a complete stranger if he needs a ride and he tells me he's trying to find you but he doesn't know where you live. So I call you. Any of this ringing a bell?"

Somewhat disconcertingly, Robin was quiet. There was a look of utter dread on her face and Alice could tell that she was getting at precisely what Robin was so hesitant to talk about. Whatever happened that night was between Robin and Noah and it was ultimately up to the former whether or not Alice would discover the truth. Robin opened her mouth to speak.

"Y-Yeah. Continue."

"You told me to come on over and that Noah was a friend of yours. We head on over and when we get there, Noah isn't talking. I go up to the door and your mom tells me that you aren't seeing anyone. So I tell Noah to fuck off and I leave without giving him the time of day. I was too pissed to get into contact with you but now that I look back on it, the whole thing was pretty surreal." Alice tilted her head at Robin. "Care to clarify?"

"I…" Robin's throat was dry. Her palms were sweaty and she was at a complete loss for words. Memories of what transpired that night came flooding back to her like water flooding through a dam. She remembered being lost for what felt like hours in a labyrinth that reminded her of her days as a lost child in the big city. She remembered finding a clone of herself on the tracks and suffering at its hands for several long, painful hours. She remembered Noah and Matthew valiantly fighting her Shadow on her behalf as she sobbed like a pathetic child on the benches. She remembered her Persona.

"…Yes?"

"I don't wanna' talk about it here." Robin blinked rapidly, her heart thudding in her chest. "Can we go somewhere less, I dunno', suffocatin'?"

"Absolutely." Alice shifted gears and then looked to Robin. "Where to?"

"…The beach."

**[] [] []**

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | Glasswater Shoreline | 3:43 PM ]**

Noah approached the shadow with great trepidation. Fear held his throat like a vice. Every breath he took was a hard-fought battle. If he were in the other world with Odin at his side, he would have faced this enemy down with ease but out here in the real world, things were different. By this point, Noah had drawn a considerable amount of attention to himself and the few denizens at the beach were watching his every move.

The shadow looked up at him with large, black, white-less eyes. To Noah, it was like staring into a deep, endless void of nothingness. Unable to summon the power of his Persona, Noah hesitantly raised his fists and prepared himself to fight the shadow in whatever manner he could. It was a long shot, but he couldn't just walk away.

The shadow pointed the spear at Noah in a manner that implied it was not here to fight. Even still, Noah kept his guard up. Looks could be deceiving and that was especially true for shadows. There was no telling what it had up its sleeves.

_You have been chosen._

Its voice reverberated through the dimensions, sending chills down Noah's spine. The voice filled his mind with its impurity like one, massive migraine. At this point, Noah didn't even feel the eyes of the other people on the beach. It was just him and the shadow in front of him. Nothing else mattered. By some stroke of blind luck, Noah found himself able to speak with the shadow through thought alone. Mercifully, that meant having to explain less to Nathaniel and Griffith later.

That is, if there was a later.

_What are you talking about?_ Noah asked. _Chosen for what?_

_You have been chosen._ The shadow repeated. The gleaming weapon in the shadow's hands didn't budge an inch. Every word echoed was said with unyielding confidence.

_Could you…? _Noah sputtered, scraping his thoughts together into something that made sense. _Could you know what's been going on here? The shadows, the other world, Personas… do you have any answers? _

_You… _Disturbingly, there was a hint of impatience to the shadow's tone. _…have been chosen. _

_For what!? _Noah yelled.

_If I could take your soul now, einherjar, I would. _The warrior said as she dropped the tip of her weapon to the ground and adjusted the reins of her horse. _But alas, all I can do is this much. I will say it once more, einherjar. You have been chosen. _

"Noah!?" A familiar voice shot out through the darkness, interrupting the mental link between the shadow and him. Noah turned around and saw Matthew running to him from further down the beach with a plastic bag slung across his shoulder and a metal stick in his hands.

"The hell's goin' on here!?" Another familiar voice called out. Noah turned again and saw Robin jumping over the railing and dashing down the slope to him. Two of his comrades in arms were here… as were a whole host of others that he had come to know over the past few weeks.

Matthew, Robin, Griffith, Lucia, Alice, Grace, and Nathaniel.

Noah whipped around and stared daggers at the shadow as the creature surveyed the group with great interest. He watched as the shadow lifted its spear again and aimed it directly at his friends.

_You… and you. _There was a brief lull in the shadow's thoughts, a pause that implied confusion. _The hue of your auras clashes with expectation. It is wrong. _

The shadow took a brief moment to gather itself as it retreated backwards into the water. _So many souls gathered together for the harvest, yet I can reap none of what has been sown. _

Thankfully, Matthew and Robin seemed to be self-aware enough to know not to speak out loud. The two friends looked up at Noah on either of his sides, their eyes imbued with a mixture of bravery and fear. Nothing had to be said or thought. The looks on their faces said everything that needed to be said. Together, the three Persona wielders faced the shadow in unison.

_There is much work that needs to be done. _The shadow said. _The color of your will attests to this fact. Bear this in mind, einherjar… this is only the beginning. _

The shadow warrior bowed respectfully and then turned away from them, dashing into the ocean and disappearing from view. Noah exchanged wide eyes with Matthew and Robin, no one knowing what exactly to say. Instead, someone else did.

"What the shit is wrong with you all?" Nathaniel stomped up to Noah and roughly shoved him from behind, sending the shocked youth to his knees. "Is this another goddamn prank or are you all really this fucking crazy? I'm starting to think Monica and David were right… maybe I was drunk off my ass!"

Nobody said a word. Not even Robin who just stared at Nathaniel remorsefully. The words of the shadow were heavy on all of them, and it was readily apparent that no one besides them saw it. That could only mean that those who wielded a Persona were capable of seeing the shadow.

"Hey, take it easy!" Griffith walked up to Nathaniel and laid a hand on the angry young man's shoulder. "We're all a lil' confused, but don't get angry at Noah. He didn't do anything."

"I knew you were a bad influence." Alice snarled and sidled up besides Nathaniel. "What, all three of you are best friends now or something? What the hell are you guys doing? Robin, are you high? Are all three of you high? Is that what this is? Are you all tripping out on drugs?"

"Don't touch me." Nathaniel snapped, slapping Griffith's hand off his shoulder.

"Calm down, buddy." Griffith soothed. "No one wants to start a fight here."

"Miss, please don't go down there!" An older man spoke up. Noah looked up to see Lucia walking down the cement steps parallel to the sandy slope in neat, orderly strides. He cringed when he remembered the talk they shared just a few days ago. Why was everyone here, now? What on earth had brought everyone to the same place at the same time and at such an awkward moment?

"Identifying a culprit, are we?" Alice said as she neared the group. "Look no further than that girl to the right of Noah, there. While you're at it, you can lump Noah in with her too. I don't even need to know the details of the crime in order to know that they are at fault. The two of them cannot be trusted."

"Back off princess, I ain't in the mood." Robin snapped, suddenly back to her old self.

"See how quick she is to anger!" Lucia exclaimed. With a cocky grin, she added, "Do take caution, friends! The sign back there reads, 'do not feed the animals.'"

"Why you—!" Robin gaped at Lucia. "Princess got game!"

"Robin, maybe we shouldn't…"

"Shut up, Matt!" Robin shoved her hand over Matthew's face. "I ain't gonna' take this crap lyin' down. This girl wants a tussle, well, she's got it." Robin reached down and pulled off her jacket, stripping down to a gray wife-beater. A flash of red colored Alice's cheeks and Noah took note of how embarrassed she looked when she averted her gaze. "C'mon princess, put 'em up! This fight's been a long time comin'!"

"Barbarian!" Lucia hissed.

"Girls, girls, c'mon!" Griffith called cheerily as he walked up next to Lucia, slinging his arm around her shoulder and beaming the group his best smile. "Make love, not war! We're all friends here, aren't we?"

Everyone in attendance besides Grace looked at Seth and yelled, "No!" in unison.

"…Not all at once, guys. Yeesh."

"Besides, why on God's green earth would I waste my energy scrapping in the mud with someone like you?" Lucia sneered derisively. "You're not worth a second of my time. I thought coming here would give me peace of mind, but I see now that with the likes of you here I was sorely mistaken."

"You got some nerve!" Robin yelled. "I oughta'—"

And then, out of the blue, Robin stopped. Her mouth slowly closed as she fixed Lucia with an intense stare that made the blonde girl visibly uncomfortable.

"W-What is it?" Lucia said, indignant. "Run out of empty threats, have we? Growing up in an urban jungle must have decreased your mental capacity. I feel sorry for you."

Still, Robin said nothing.

"You bitches done yammering?" Nathaniel said.

"Hey, buddy." Griffith spoke up, his tone disapproving. "Watch it. You don't get to talk about girls—no, my friends like that. Apologize."

"So now the playboy's getting serious?" Nathaniel rolled up the sleeves on his jacket and fixed his beanie, a cocky grin spreading across his face. "I've always wanted to put you in your place and now I finally have the chance. Coming here was a stroke of genius."

"I hate guys like you." Griffith spat, shaking his head in disgust. "Always got something to prove. You looking for respect or something? 'Cause you're not gonna' find it here." Griffith slicked back the hair from his eyes and took a fighting stance in the sand.

"You think you're the only guy in the world who knows how to fight, huh?" Nathaniel adopted a similar pose and prepared to battle Griffith. "You're going to need a body bag when I'm done with you."

Griffith ground his teeth, but stayed his tongue. He decided he would let his fists do the talking.

Immediately, Nathaniel sprung forward and slammed into Griffith's torso, wrapping his arms around the athlete's waist and taking him down to the ground. A yell of pain sounded out across the beach as Griffith's back hit the sand. With a guttural snarl, Nathaniel straddled Griffith's waist and began laying into him with all of the anger he had. Blow after blow fell upon Griffith as the helpless young man raised his arms to guard against the onslaught.

"Fucking pathetic!" Nathaniel cackled. "You serious? This is the best the star player of Glasswater High's got? What a joke!"

"Shut the hell up!" Griffith countered. Groaning with the effort, Griffith pushed Nathaniel off of him and slowly got to his feet, coughing up a small spattering of blood. He wiped his mouth and, in one fluid motion, fell to his haunches and swept Nathaniel's legs with his foot. Gracelessly, Nathaniel hit the ground and coughed up a cloud of sand.

Seizing the opportunity, Griffith wrapped his thighs around Nathaniel's head and began punching him straight in the face with as much force as Nathaniel had just a few moments ago. Noah watched Nathaniel's legs kick up, the rebel's arms pinned to the side by Griffith's knees.

"I've—_smack_—had—_smack_—enough—_smack_—of your—_smack_—bullshit!"

Nathaniel roared and pushed Griffith off of him. The athlete stumbled backwards, the two of them breathing heavily as they sized up the damage they had dealt to their respective opponent. At once, they both shot up from the sand and prepared to meet in fisticuffs again before Noah broke the tension with a single command.

"STOP!"

All eyes were now on Noah. Nathaniel's harsh glare seemed to say, 'how dare you talk like that to me?' All of the expressions on the other's faces ranged from hurt to confusion. Noah didn't—nor did he want to—have the time to address everyone's concerns one by one. At this point, all he really wanted was to be alone with Matthew and Robin in order to discuss the shadow on the beach. As far as he was concerned, everything else was irrelevant. A shadow had crossed the border between their worlds in order to impart an omen unto them. The three of them needed to talk, and they needed to talk now. The sooner everyone was gone, the better.

That had to start with Nathaniel.

"Nathaniel." Noah spoke up. He reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet. Noah took a moment to inspect the contents. There were a few crinkly dollar bills wedged inside, as well as a learner's permit and his identification card. No pertinent information that could be used to take advantage of him was on the cards, but it was something. He took it in hand and tossed it over to Nathaniel. "Keep that for now as collateral. You and I can talk later. Right now, I can't and I won't. Do you understand?"

At the end of his wits and spent from the scuffle, Nathaniel grunted and shoved Noah's wallet into his pocket. "Whatever. I'm tired of all of this shit. Too many idiots in one place for me to handle. I'll keep in touch, Scofield, we're not through." Nathaniel tossed a wayward glance at Robin, but she narrowed her eyes and looked away. He then shot a glare at Griffith who met his eyes in kind.

"We're not done either, Triton." Nathaniel pointed at Griffith directly. "Watch your back because I just might break it one day."

He smirked, turned away towards another end of the beach, and stomped off.

Much to Noah's relief, banking on Nathaniel's intolerance for others had proven worthwhile. He wanted to wipe his brow, but there were still others he needed to turn away.

"Lucia—"

But she was already gone. Noah looked around and caught a glimpse of Lucia walking back up the steps with Griffith following closely behind.

_Is Griffith… apologizing? _Noah thought, squinting after Griffith in bewilderment.

There was a man who was feverishly wiping sweat from his forehead dressed in an expensive tuxedo at the top of the stairs. As soon as Lucia was near him, the man took her arm in his and led her away and out of sight. Noah saw Griffith's slightly bloodied face and the worried expression on it.

That left one Alice Stonewall.

He cringed when he met her harsh gaze. Not an iota of anger left her since the last time they spoke, which wasn't very long ago. And she had left him on bad terms. Terms that involved not being near Robin or else she was going to call the police. Noah didn't exactly have a good counter against that. His wallet was already in the tender care of Nathaniel and he had nothing else to barter with.

Luckily for him, Robin took the initiative.

"Alice," Robin said, calling the angry senior's attention to her. "Could you give us a sec?"

"What are you talking about?" Alice said, her accusing stare never leaving Noah. "And leave you alone with this creep? Not in a million years. What if you pass out again? I could never forgive myself."

"Alice," Robin pressed, this time more urgently, "Please."

Alice's nostrils flared, but she finally looked at Robin. Her expression softened and she pulled off her cap, running an exasperated hand through her unruly hair. "Damn it, Tesla. Don't look at me like that."

"This is real important." Robin said. "It'd mean the world to me."

"…Fine." Alice grunted. She flashed Noah another heated glare and grumbled, "But I'm driving her home. You try anything funny and I'll kick your ass." And with arms crossed, Alice walked away.

"I think that's everybody." Noah sighed. "Alright—"

"Not exactly." Matthew interrupted. He pointed a finger at Grace who was still standing around awkwardly. Noah looked at her in surprise and he smacked a palm to his forehead.

"Grace!" He smiled at her warmly. Here was one person he could be congenial with. "I didn't see you there."

"I-I'll go." Grace whispered. She bowed far too low than was necessary and scuttled off with her head tucked between her shoulders. Noah looked after her, slightly worried, but he shrugged it off and turned back to the two people who mattered most right now: Matthew and Robin.

"So," Noah began, "Did you guys see it too?"

"Yeah!" Matthew nodded vigorously. "I was here doing community service when I spotted you from far off… and then I saw that thing."

"…Yeah." Robin agreed. The energy in her voice that was present not long ago had faded as everyone left. Now that it was just her, Matthew, and Noah, all that was left was the awkwardness from lunchtime. She was abnormally downcast and it pained Noah to know that he was the reason why.

"Robin?" Noah said.

"Yo." Although she addressed him and looked in his direction, her eyes avoided his.

"…Alright. You asked for this." Noah walked up to Robin and looked straight at her, but the usually energetic girl just looked away and bit her lip. Noah smiled, wrapped his arms around her, and brought her into a conciliatory embrace. Robin's body froze in his arms for just a second, but soon she was struggling to break free. As expected.

"Knock it off!" Robin pushed away from him and brushed herself off, rubbing her arms and looking embarrassed. "Spare me the touchy-feely crap, for Christ's sake."

"But back then you—"

"Yeah, well, that was then, this is now." Robin snapped. She was irritated, but now she was actually looking at him directly. A few strained seconds passed before her frown lifted, soon replaced by her trademark smile. "But… all is forgiven."

"Happy to hear it." Noah grinned.

"…Does _anyone_ want to fill me in on what's going on?"

"It's not important." Noah waved. "We've got some things to discuss. A shadow just popped up in our world without any warning. And that's all that it gave us. A warning. Thoughts?"

"Didn't sound like a warning to me." Matthew commented. "She said we were chosen."

"Guys, I got it all figured out." Robin tapped a finger against her skull. "We're… eyesores? I think that's what she called us? Anyway, she's got her sights locked on to us and the next time we go to that other world, she's gonna' jump us! Ain't complicated at all. She's paintin' her targets for the hunt!"

"That's a start." Noah mused. "But that can't be everything. She said something else too about taking our souls and that they were ripe for the harvest. Got any theories on that, ace detective?"

"Uh…" Robin stammered. "Obviously more smart talk for killin' us… synonyms, right?"

"Matthew," Noah said, "Did you hear what she called us? I didn't quite pick it up."

"Eye… odine?" Matthew shrugged helplessly. "I'm just as lost, man. She didn't say much."

"That's fine." Noah sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. "We'll figure it out as we go along. I've got a funny feeling this isn't the last time we'll see that shadow."

Noah eyed Matthew and Robin and, by happenstance, noticed Robin fidgeting in place. He cocked his head and gave her a quizzical look. "Is something the matter?"

"There's somethin' else." Robin murmured.

"Did you hear the shadow say anything other than what we discussed?"

"Nah, it ain't about that." Robin looked over her shoulder and, upon confirming that no one was behind her eavesdropping, she leaned forward. "It's… about Lucia."

"Lucia?" Noah said, confused. "What about her? Is it about the fight you guys had?"

"Nah." Robin shook her head. "It's her clock."

"What do you mean?"

"Lucia's clock… its gone red."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey guys, I hope you're enjoying the story! I'm cutting in here real quick to highlight two stories that I think you really ought to give a chance aside from my own. The first is _Persona: Duality _by Sraosha and the second is _Persona: Avalon _by a brand-spanking new author, Neomycin. Duality in particular is criminally underrated and gets better and better as you go on, and Avalon is a promising start to a new adventure that I think will really take off if he gets some good critique. If you're up for it, check them out! They've both been giving me good feedback on _Persona: the Nameless _and I wanted to return the favor in whatever way I can. That's all for now!

* * *

**[Social Links:]**

_Fool (The Team): 2 + 1 = __**3**__  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 2 + 1 = __**3**__  
Emperor (Griffith): 2  
Priestess (Lucia): 3  
Strength (Alice): 0  
Sun (Grace): 1  
Devil (Nathaniel): 2  
Moon (David): 1_**  
**_Hermit (Monica): 1  
Lovers (Maria): 1  
Hanged Man (Christopher): 1  
Tower (Seth): 3  
Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 3  
Hierophant (Samuel): 1  
Death (Gwendolyn): 1_


	16. Chapter 16, Beauty is Only Skin Deep

Chapter 16 – Beauty is Only Skin Deep

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | Glasswater Shoreline | 5:02 PM ]**

Griffith Triton followed Lucia as she stomped up the stairs, her fists clenched and eyes glued to the ground. Moments ago, Lucia had gotten into a nasty, verbal spat with long-time arch-nemesis Robin Tesla and the encounter had left everyone feeling very sour. As lifeguard, Griffith was well-aware of the fact that he was neglecting his duties, but he wasn't about to let a dear friend of his leave in a bad mood. Especially not if there was something he could have done to cheer that friend up.

"Lucia, hold up." Griffith's request went ignored, as he predicted. He knew that Lucia was stubborn and he knew better than most how much it took to get her to see reason. "Lucia, come on! I can't help you if you won't let me!"

"And who said I wanted your help?" Lucia pivoted on a dime, snapping around to face Griffith and fix him with an angry glare. "Go back to the beach, Triton. No doubt some poor soul lost at sea is in need of your assistance."

Referring to Griffith by his last name was a personality quirk of Lucia's that meant she was mad, and more than usual at that. Getting her to see reason would take some dedicated effort, effort that might mean losing his job as a lifeguard at Glasswater beach. Griffith reached up to wipe the blood caking his face as he offered Lucia a consoling smile.

"Don't be mad at Robin." Griffith said. "If you gave those guys a chance, you'd see it for yourself. They're chill dudes and I know if you got to know them a little better, you'd like them too. You just gotta' be patient, you know?"

"I don't." Lucia said. "And if you enjoy their company so much, why are you up here with me? Go back to them; you're perfect for each other. I'm going home." She sneered and turned to get into her limousine, but Griffith reached out and grabbed her wrist. Lucia yelled in surprise and made to pull away, but Griffith was much stronger than she was.

"For fuck's sake, Lucia!" Griffith reprimanded. "You were the one that started it in the first place? Why are you getting mad at them when you provoked them in the first place?"

"So you're taking their side." Lucia scoffed in disbelief. "What trash. I don't know why I expected any better."

"How the hell is that fair?" Griffith said. "How the hell can you judge these guys so callously? They haven't hurt you! No one's wronged you! What you're doing isn't healthy, Lucia. You're going to push yourself into a corner until there's no more room left. For fuck's sake, take a step back and look at what you're doing!"

Lucia laughed darkly and fixed Griffith with the coldest, insensitive glare he'd seen from her in ages. "Are you going to lecture me too, now? That's rich! You're supposed to be laid-back and easy-going, not over-bearing and dominating. You're just like all the rest."

"Why are you always like this?" Griffith fought back. "You're always so picky when it comes to people. Every time I make a recommendation, you shoot me down. Noah, Robin, Matthew, Christopher, Maria, David… the list goes on and on and on. What's the deal, Lucia? I like these people because I can relate to them, because they are good. Does that mean you don't like me either?"

A choking silence filled the space between them as Lucia considered his question.

She nodded.

"Perhaps you're right. Perhaps I don't really like you."

"Oh, come on." Griffith placed his chin into a check-marked shape indentation in the gap between his index finger and thumb. His eyebrows bounced playfully. "You can't hate this."

"You are wrong." Lucia said, matter-of-factly. "I can, and I do."

"You don't mean that." Griffith laughed unconfidently. "You've made your point Lucia. I get it, you're pissed off. Just cool off and talk to me. I'm here for you."

"You seem to be having a little trouble understanding." Lucia said. "Allow me to clarify."

"What—"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you've deluded yourself into thinking you mean something to me. You think you're a friend when you're really just a lap-dog. All you are is a silly little fool to dance for me when I'm bored. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't make the mistake of thinking you're anything other than that because you're only hurting yourself."

Griffith bit his tongue and forced back tears. Lucia had always been his most difficult friend, but she was also one of his most cherished. Earning her friendship had been a long, uphill battle and winning it had been one of the happiest days of his life. For her to talk down to him so coldly was not just unusual but also deeply wounding. Although Lucia's temperament was generally frosty, she never went out of her way to hurt people without good reason. If she did, there was always purpose.

This was just pure, emotional evisceration.

"Are you going to cry?" Lucia asked, tilting her head and pouting. "Disappointing. I thought you a stronger man than that. I suppose I was wrong about you, in more ways than one."

"Lucia…" Griffith choked. "T-This is a joke. You're pulling my leg."

"I'm not pulling anything." Lucia said. "I'm just being upfront and honest as I always am. If you don't like it, you're free to return to your merry band of idiots down that way."

"You _are _my friend!" Griffith cried. "What happened to you? You've never spoken to me like this! I don't get it, what changed? What's wrong? Tell me, Lucia! Tell me what's wrong with you!"

"People change." Lucia said. "Like a child outgrowing a pair of pants. Now that I think on it, that's a perfect analogy for this particular situation. It seems I've outgrown you, Griffith. And now I'm discarding you."

"I…" Unable to stop it, a single tear finally broke through the dam, rolling down Griffith's cheek and landing on the pavement. "I don't…"

"This is goodbye, Griffith. It was fun while it lasted." Lucia nodded curtly and turned back to her butler who watched these proceedings with a cold, passive expression. When she was inside, her butler shut the door after her and circled around to the driver's seat.

Soon, they were gone. Griffith was left alone to pick up the pieces of his broken heart.

**[] [] []**

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | Glasswater Shoreline | 5:47 PM ]**

"Red?" Noah's eyes narrowed to puzzled slits. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talkin' about the clocks," Robin frowned. "What, you forget about that already? Must be convenient for you guys not havin' to deal with any side effects from the other world. I'm the third person to get a Persona and I get stuck with shit right out the gate."

"Sorry." Noah apologized. "It's a little difficult to imagine."

"You're tellin' me." Robin laughed sharply.

"So Lucia's clock is red?" Matthew wondered aloud. "What do you guys think that means?"

"You don't think it's obvious?" Noah asked. "I think it means we need to keep a close eye on her until—"

"12!" Robin cried, interrupting Noah mid-speech. He gave her an odd look and she sheepishly looked away before continuing. "Now that I look back on it, the hands on her clock weren't movin'. Kinda' like—"

"—Our clocks." Noah finished, stunned. It was Robin's turn to shoot Noah a hot glare, but he ignored it and cupped his chin in his hand. "That only proves the theory I was thinking about when you mentioned her clock turning red. If her clock is red _and _frozen, that could only mean that once the clock strikes twelve, Lucia's going to board a one-way train to the shadow world."

"Shadow world, huh?" Matthew smiled faintly. "That has a nice ring to it."

"Whatever!" Noah waved. "Right now, we need to prepare. What time is it, Matt?"

"Uh…" Matthew glanced at his wristwatch and then said, "5:47."

"Alright." Noah nodded. "We're going to split up for the time being. I want us all to reconvene at the intersection next to my apartment at 11:00. Until then, eat, rest up, take a breather, whatever. I need you both to be ready for tonight, you understand? I'm going to take care of some business before we head out."

"Roger that!" Matthew chipped, mock-saluting.

By contrast, however, Robin was being oddly complacent. Both Noah and Matthew looked at her, waiting for confirmation. She stared back with blank eyes and shrugged. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Noah passed a hand over his face and bit his tongue. "Robin, please, we don't have time for this. I'm going to need you to put aside your personal bias and get your head into the game. This might come as a shock to you but Lucia's _life _is at stake here. That's not something we can just play around with. We're treading on thin ice as it is. I don't want Lucia to die knowing we could have done something."

"Hey, last time I checked I don't remember signin' up for some renegade operations squad!" Robin snapped. "What about my life? That ain't important either or do those big blue eyes just make your knees jelly? What are you going to do if I say no, huh? We're friend, Noah, but I don't know if I can risk my life for someone that's just like the people who made my life shitty when I was a kid."

Although Robin had a point, Noah was prepared for resistance on her end.

"If you hate her so much, why did you tell us her clock was red?" Noah asked. "You could have kept that information a secret from Matthew and me yet you went ahead and told us both. It's clear that it's a warning for something. You made the choice to relay that warning to us. You did that because you cared, even if you don't want to admit that."

At a loss, Robin scratched her head and swore. "That don't mean I give a shit about her or anything, understand!? I thought it would have been dishonest to keep that hidden from you. You guys have a right to know. I'm a lotta' things, but a liar ain't one of 'em."

"Keep telling yourself that, Rob." Matthew chimed in, grinning at her foolishly.

"Hey, fuck you Livingston!" Robin blazed.

"Whatever, Rob. Anyway, does anyone even know where Lucia lives?"

"That's easy." Robin answered, still glowering at Matthew. "Lucia and all 'em prep kids live in rich bitch district. Classiest part of Glasswater, easy. All the homes there'll make you feel like your cab took a wrong turn and dropped you off in fuckin' Bel-Air or somethin'. Nice place. Not for me. Especially if that stuck-up chick's livin' there."

"Robin!" Noah snapped.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I'll keep a lid on it." Robin sighed.

"Okay." Noah nodded. "Then if we're all done here, we'll rendezvous at my apartment at 11:00, an hour before shit hits the fan. Robin will lead the team to the house from there. Dismissed!"

**[] [] []**

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | The Velvet Room | Unknown ]**

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Faith greeted Noah punctually as he stepped into the Velvet Room, a thin film of sweat lining the brow of his forehead. He wiped it off and took a seat across the table from Faith, eyes darting around the room for the missing occupant of the room.

"Where's Igor?" Noah asked.

"My master is out on business." Faith answered, reaching underneath the desk and pulling out her thick, blue compendium. "Today, the Velvet Room has been left in my charge. Now then, what may I do for you?"

_Out on business? _Noah thought with raised eyebrows. _What else could that old fart be up to? _

"Er, right." Noah cleared his throat. "Tonight, one of my frie—an acquaintance of mine is on the verge of succumbing to her shadow. This is the first time where we've been given a small window of opportunity to prepare for the fight, so I wanted to come visit the Velvet Room and see if there was anything you could do or anything you could tell me to help me prepare."

"Hm…" Faith regarded Noah with curious eyes. "I suppose… you are ready. I know not if my master would agree with my assessment of your skill, but I have seen your will in action and I believe it is sufficient enough to branch out further."

With a nod that seemed to be more for her than for Noah, Faith reached below the desk once again. When she emerged, there was a blue box in her hands. She set it down gently in front of her and took off the lid, revealing a row of shiny, thin, plastic packages. Noah leaned forward and gazed at the contents with a look of confusion. Truthfully, this wasn't what he had been expecting, not that he had been expecting anything in particular.

"I see you are confused." Faith smiled thinly. "This also my first time dealing with such matters so bear with me if I make a mistake or two."

"Okay…" Noah nodded slowly. "What I want to know right now is what these little packages are for."

"Excellent question." Faith clapped. "This is a tentative new system that we are experimenting with both for the convenience of the Wild Card as well as for ourselves. I will explain as I go along." Faith pinched one package from the very end of the box and slipped it out from the box. Once it was free from its confines, she handed it to Noah with what looked to be a shy smile on her face.

_I'm not sure if I like that look. _Noah thought. He smiled back at her and then examined the package in his hand.

…_What the hell? _

On the front of the rectangular package was the dual-shaded mask that was on the back of the tarot cards Noah and Matthew crushed whenever they summoned their Persona. At the bottom in white text read the following: _01 – 10_. He squinted at the numbers, trying to decipher any hidden meanings from its label and, upon finding none, flipped the package over. There were several lines of dialogue to be read and, at first glance, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

_Are you a Wild Card looking for that extra edge to help vanquish your foes?  
Look no further for your answer lies within the cards: demons, demons, demons!  
Every pack is different!  
Creatures and critters from lore and legend the world over are here to do battle!  
Will you summon the mighty Beezlebub, Lord of the Flies?  
Or will you summon the powerful Archangel, messenger of the Lord on high?  
Maybe you'll get a Soma, great for when you're in a pinch!  
Or maybe you'll get a Goho-M when you want to… well, go home!  
The possibilities are endless!  
$5_

The corner of Noah's eyelid twitched as he processed the back of the package line by line. The whole thing read like an infomercial for a card game. Within the context of the Velvet Room, it sounded like a practical joke. Noah frowned and stared at Faith beneath bristled brows. She was watching him with bright eyes, eagerly anticipating his finish.

"Who wrote this?"

Hearing Noah's question caused Faith to tense up. "I… I did." She admitted, struggling to contain a sly smile.

"Wow." Noah said, impressed. "We've got a label for people like you back in our world."

_And five dollars? _Noah thought. _This is a booster pack. Seriously? _

"A-Anyway… does this sound useful?" Faith prompted.

"Um..." Noah said, sliding the pack back towards the box. "I really don't know. How is this thing going to help me fight shadows?"

"Perhaps opening the pack will yield an answer."

"I would," Noah lifted the pack and pointed at the price in the corner. "But it says that I have to pay up."

"Ah! Ignore that for now." Faith nodded. "The first pack is free of charge. Consider it a gift of sorts. How do the people in your world put it? On the house?"

Noah stifled a surprised laugh. "Yes, that's correct. How do you know that phrase?"

"Stories passed down to me from an older sister." Faith said. "But it's nothing you need to concern yourselves with. You should open it. This is the first time the Velvet Room has provided a service such as this and I look forward to seeing how you put it to use!"

Curious to see what hidden gems were stowed away inside, Noah pried open the plastic and withdrew the contents. Inside, there were a total of five cards. The backs of the cards matched the picture on the packaging: the dual-shaded mask. Based off of appearances alone, these cards looked exactly like the cards Noah and Matthew used to summon their Personas. Noah flipped the small stack over and examined the cards one by one.

Pixie, Medicine, Medicine, Goho-M, Life Stone.

There was an illustration for every card. The Pixie card depicted a red-haired fairy-type creature dressed in a bodysuit, leggings, and arm gloves that were all colored a deep shade of blue. There was a box below the picture that listed all sorts of statistical data.

_Dia, Patra, Zio… Magician Arcana… Resists wind, weak to fire… er… _

Noah shook his head and gingerly set the card down. There was a lot on information on it and he wasn't entirely sure what it all meant. He sifted through the other cards which contained far less information by comparison. The Medicine card depicted a small green bottle, and the accompanying description stated that it healed wounds. The Goho-M card depicted a generic-looking household and the card stated that it returned the users to the beginning of a labyrinth. Noah set each of the cards down on top of the Pixie card as he read them and, upon reading the Life Stone card, went open-mouth with shock.

_Revives one ally to partial health. _

"Faith?"

"Yes?"

Indicating the Life Stone card with his finger, Noah said, "This card claims that I can revive fallen friends. Are you telling me I can bring the dead back to life with this?"

"In essence, yes." Faith nodded. "Take caution, however. You will never have a limitless supply of cards like that and you should never take ownership of it as an excuse to be reckless with your allies. In addition, these cards will have no effect in your own world. Their usage is limited primarily to the shadow realm."

"I see." Noah mused, rubbing his chin. "That's… insane. Odin healed me before, but I never thought that we'd ever have the power to revive others."

"That is the power of Personas." Faith affirmed. "And seeing as you are the Wild Card, you would be wise to understand that your potential extends far beyond resurrecting the fallen. I will leave discovering what exactly that entails up to you."

"One last thing." Noah picked up the Pixie card. "What exactly is this Pixie thing? Is this another Persona I can use like Odin?"

"That is correct." Faith affirmed.

"Huh. Alright!" Noah grinned like an excited child. This brought him back to the days when he was a kid in elementary school, trading and collecting cards like it was going out of style. The key difference was that here, there was a method to the madness. These cards could save a life just as easily as they could take it. Responsibility was going to be important.

"Do you like it?" Faith fidgeted in her seat and studied Noah intently.

"I do." Noah chuckled, gathering the cards into a small stack and pocketing them. "I think this is the first time you've given me something I can actually _use_... not that I didn't appreciate all the advice and all. Thank you for the free pack, Faith. I promise I won't let you down." Noah stood up from his chair and made to leave, but stopped and tilted his head in contemplation. "…I'm going to have to return the favor someday, aren't I?"

"The first pack is free of charge." Faith said. "That hasn't changed. Future usage of this tool will require financial supplementation on your part, however."

"Five dollars a pack, right?" Noah sighed.

"Not always." Faith said, shaking her head. "You will, naturally, grow more and more powerful over time and will thusly obtain the ability to retain Personas much more powerful than the Pixie you already own. These Personas belong to a higher echelon of packs and they will be more expensive depending on what you purchase. There are ways to circumvent this price, however."

"Really?" Noah said, interested. "And what would those be?"

"Well, for one, obtaining Personas isn't limited strictly through the purchase of the packs. The same lane of thought can also be applied towards the items."

_That's really vague. _Noah thought. _But I'll take it. _

"Okay." Noah nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. I should get going, my friends are waiting for me. Thank you again, Faith. Don't know what I'd do without you!" He nodded to her, pulled open the handle, and left without so much as another word.

"…Be safe." Faith whispered.

But the door to the Velvet Room had already closed shut.

**[] [] []**

**[ August 28****th****, 2012 | Glasswater – Upper District | 11:44 PM ]**

"Matthew, where on earth did you even find that claymore?"

Metal scraped on cement as Matthew dragged a massive sword by his waist. Robin's weapon of choice was the bat Matthew used during their previous foray into the other realm. Noah hadn't thought of bringing a weapon to fight shadows with; he figured a trip to the Velvet Room would have sufficed. Looking at Matthew's gleaming blade and Robin's blunt length of wood, however, was cause enough for Noah to reconsider.

_Then again, I have a Life Stone. _Noah thought. _Not to mention Medicine and a… Goho-M if things get hairy. _

Honestly, Noah hoped it wouldn't come to that. Teleporting them to the start of a labyrinth implied only one possible scenario: failing to save Lucia and beating a hasty retreat. The past two labyrinths reverted back to the homes of their respective owners once their Shadows had been vanquished.

Noah quickly glanced at Robin and Matthew. The two of them were butting heads, comparing weapon sizes, strengths, weaknesses, and other nonsensical tomfoolery. He smirked and took the opportunity to examine the Pixie card at the top of the small stack in his pocket.

_Dia… restores health. Patra… cures a variety of illnesses. Zio… summons a weak bolt of electricity. _

Dia and Zio sounded like abilities Odin had already put to use in their battles against shadows, Zio in particular. Knowing the names of the abilities their Personas were using made things a little easier to remember, but he wouldn't know where to begin explaining how he knew the terminology if Matthew or Robin ever asked him about it. Noah glanced at the statistical parameters of the Pixie he held.

_If this Persona is weak to fire, does that mean I will too if I use it? _Noah frowned and passed over the ability chart again. _Hm… there are some question-marked boxes in addition to the ones that I can already use. _

"Alright!" Robin's voice sliced through his thoughts. "And we've arrived at our destination. Get a good look at 'er folks, this show ain't gonna' last forever!"

Noah pocketed the Pixie card and looked up at Lucia's house.

His jaw dropped. Addendum: mansion.

For one, Lucia's house was massive. A cast-iron fence complete with spiky tips and unnecessarily intricate design patterns wrapped around the entire perimeter. There was a tall gate at the very front of the house with a guard booth posted off to the side. The road leading into the mansion ended in a circular pathway that allowed guests and members of the household alike to be dropped off at the front steps leading up to the main entrance. Dozens upon dozens of willowy trees lined the road leading up to the path leading to the front. Custom-built lampposts hidden among the shrubbery lit the way for cars coming in and out of the household. The house itself had more in common with a Gothic cathedral than any mansion Noah had ever seen.

All in all, it was like stepping into an entirely different world.

"Lifestyles of the rich and famous." Matthew said in awe, taking cover behind a trimmed bush beside Robin and Noah.

"These uptown snobs got it made." Robin pouted, her eyes trained on the guard vigilantly standing at attention in his tiny, well-lit cubicle.

"You guys took the words right out of my mouth." Noah concurred. "Time?"

"11:54." Matthew said. "It should be starting soon."

"Okay, thanks." Noah's eyes traveled down to the claymore lying flat across the ground. "Matthew, are you seriously going to take that weapon into the shadow realm? I get that you want to be prepared, but that thing looks really heavy."

"You serious?" Matthew snorted. "The bigger, the better. Everyone knows that! Those shadows aren't going to know what hit 'em!"

Robin rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yeah, you're gonna' give it to 'em real good Matt. Our precious princess' gonna' be so turned on when you come in swingin' your sword and yellin', 'fireball!' over and over again."

Even under the blanket of darkness, Noah could see Matthew's face go red-hot with embarrassment. Robin chuckled and stood up, bouncing her bat up and down over her shoulder. Matthew muttered something incoherently under his breath, picking up and dropping his sword at regular intervals.

The clock struck 12.

From the heavens came a yellow pillar of light, engulging Lucia's mansion within its area of effect within seconds. Given the already large size of the building, the size and scope of the pillar of light was impressive, even awe-inspiring. Indistinct runes and symbols embedded within spun and twisted and undulated unto the pillar, moving much too fast for any of the Persona users in the vicinity to see. Soon, the pillar lifted back up into the sky, leaving Lucia's mansion in its wake…

…Transformed.

Robin was the first to break the heavy silence that lingered once the last few tendrils of light disappeared.

"…Is… Did that happen to my house?"

"This is the first time any of us are seeing what happens when we're taken to the shadow realm." Noah said. "I never thought something like that happened, though. Did any of you catch a glimpse of the writing inside the light?"

"Hell no!" Matthew said, crossing his arms. "Shit was moving way too fast for me to keep track of, and I'm pretty good at that."

"Spottin' tangos in your video games is a little different compared to this." Robin snickered.

"You're just saying that because you're terrible at them!"

"I also ain't spendin' all my free fuckin' time toppin' the leaderboards, numbskull!"

"Lazy ass!"

"Sour puss!"

"Guys!" Noah yelled, silencing their chatter with a single command. "Now really isn't the time. We've got a job to do and we can't afford to waste time bickering. If you guys are ready, we're going in. You both prepared?"

The squabbling twosome traded hostile glares before resolving their differences with various, rude gestures. Once they were done, they looked at Noah and nodded determinedly. Noah smiled and stood up from his kneeling position, the other two following his lead. Together, the three Persona users ventured past the gate and into Lucia's labyrinth.

**[] [] []**

**[ August 29****th****, 2012 | Lucia's Labyrinth | 12:00 AM ]**

In place of Lucia's beautiful, colossal mansion was something else entirely. What stood there, now, was a massive, foreboding, prison. The rustic fence surrounding the perimeter of the building was now a looming, several-stories-high granite wall. Search lights perched atop the wall beamed down across the prison's courtyard, scanning for trespassers and shadows alike. In place of the lampposts lining the street leading up to Lucia's mansion were gnarled, rotted trees with twisting branches and peeling bark. The mansion itself was a prison complex with small, tiny windows arranged into systematic rows. At the base of the building was a set of double-doors. It was through there that the three of them would make their entrance.

"You think anything's gonna' happen if we step into those spotlights?" Matthew asked.

"I can't say." Noah said. "If at all possible, we should try to avoid them. It's better to be safe than sorry, right?"

"What if I wanna' fight?"

Noah and Matthew snapped to Robin with mouths agape. She returned their shocked stares with a nonchalant shrug. "You guys have had plenty of practice fightin' with your Personas. It ain't like I'm plannin' on facin' Lucia's shadow unprepared, you know? I wanna' get in the groove before we tango."

"Absolutely not!" Noah admonished. "If anything, Matthew and I are going to be doing most of the fighting.

"But—"

"Save it!" Noah hissed, shoving his hand into Robin's face.

Robin whistled in annoyance, but settled down and propped herself up on her baseball bat. "Fine, oh glorious leader! We'll do it your way. But if shit hits the fan, I'm goin' all out and there ain't nothin' you can do to stop me, got it?"

"Fine." Noah exhaled. "C'mon, let's get this over with."

On Noah's signal, the three of them emerged from a behind the bush in which they were hiding. Robin was quick to get behind Noah while Matthew struggled to drag his broadsword. The metal gate that had barred entry to the mansion just moments ago had been replaced with a decrepit brick archway ensnared with countless vines. The trio passed beneath the ominous archway sticking close together for safety and reassurance. As they touched base with the road on the opposite side, a metal gate slammed shut behind them. Not one of the three said a word, instead content to shocked silence. Noah and Matthew were already familiar with this process, but Robin was seeing this for the first time.

Noah and Matthew grinned and began walking at a normal pace down the road with Robin telling them to slow down at the heels of their feet. Although Robin fighting alongside them was the very thing Matthew was afraid of happening, he had to admit that it was comforting to have her at their side.

Soon enough, they arrived at what used to be the circular fountain road in front of Lucia's mansion. Now, it was a blank, gray courtyard littered with dozens of spotlights constantly tracking the ground for any signs of movement. Noah, Matthew, and Robin stood at the edge of the designated courtyard area, collectively watching and waiting for an opening they could take advantage of. The minutes dragged on and on with no viable end in sight to the constant and vigilant surveillance of the courtyard. The spotlights gave no quarter.

"Geez!" Robin yelled, thoroughly irritated. "Where the fuck are we, Cirque du Soleil? If we wait like this, we're gonna' be stuck here 'till the roosters crow! I say we make a break for the doors and rush past whatever we aggro! Who's with me?"

"That's a pretty shitty idea," Matthew laughed. "Even for you. Still, you've got a point. These searchlights are set up so that we'll be caught no matter how fast we are. Look over there." Noah and Robin followed Matthew's finger to the steps leading up to the entrance. "See how one of the spotlights never budges from that area? Either way, we're going to get caught. What worries me is what'll happen when we are."

"Won't know 'till we find out!" Robin boasted. "The only way to find true happiness is to risk being completely cut open, Chuck Pa… Pal… dude who wrote Fight Club!"

"Not exactly doing wonders for my motivation here…" Matthew said.

"Alright." Robin grabbed both Noah and Matthew by the collars of their shirts and hauled the lot of them into the eerie glow of the awaiting spotlights. "Kill 'em all, Robin Tesla!"

The instant their bodies made contact with the spotlights, all of the lights turned crimson red. From everywhere and nowhere came the distinct sound of a siren blasting through the atmosphere like it was the end of the world. Its distinct, ghastly wail sent shivers down Noah's spine as he remembered in vivid detail the first time he had heard the siren in Matthew's labyrinth.

"I've heard this somewhere before." Matthew swallowed, looking left and right as all of the spotlights on the wall slowly turned to highlight the three of them standing in the middle of the open courtyard.

"…Me too." Robin murmured under her breath.

One by one the lights joined the growing circle around the Persona trio. Washed in a sea of red, the three students adopted defensive positions as they pressed on each other back to back in a triangular formation. Soon, all of the lights in the courtyard were focused on them except for one: the light focused on the stairs leading up to the doors. The light blinked once, then twice, and then three times. Then, it shut completely off. A strangled groan sounded out from the darkness, eliciting goosebumps on the arms of all three of the Persona users.

A burst of light appeared somewhere further down the courtyard. Noah knew what kind of light it was due to all kinds of television shows and movies.

It was a muzzle flash.

The familiar whizz of a bullet zoomed past, just barely scraping by Noah's ear. "Persona!" He cried out. The familiar form of Odin appeared at his side. He pointed to where he had last seen the burst of light and commanded, "Zio!"

Matthew looked over his shoulder at Noah as a bolt of thunder arched out from Odin's hand, zapping the source of the muzzle flash. As he expected, the shadow that attacked them had long since left the spot. No doubt it was taking full advantage of the blanket of darkness, weaving and maneuvering through its protection, waiting for its chance to strike. Noah looked at Matthew and Matthew nodded when their eyes met.

"Persona!" Matthew yelled. Baldur appeared and fired off a handful of fireball spells in multiple directions. All three of them watched their section of the courtyard as the fireballs illuminated everything in their path.

"Guys, stop!"

Noah and Matthew looked at Robin in surprise as she hopped up and down excitedly. When she confirmed that she had their full attention, she smiled and stuck her arm out, palm up. "Alright, I've been waitin' to do this!"

She concentrated for a split-second, willing her tarot card to appear within her hand. When it appeared, rather than crushing it, Robin tossed it high up into the air. "The wind-up!" It descended slowly with Noah and Matthew watching dumbfounded. Robin reared back with her baseball bat and when it was within hitting distance, she let her bat fly forward. "And the home-run!"

Blue, crystallized tarot card shards scattered across the ground as Skadi materialized beside Robin. With her Persona at her side, Robin tapped the side of her head and indicated a seemingly random spot in the dark with her index finger. "I can see it! I can see everything!"

"What are you talking about?" Noah asked.

"You know how I can see clocks 'n shit? Well they ain't there anymore! Now I can see the coolest shit ever!"

Noah cocked his head and frowned. "Huh? I don't quite follow."

"Then allow me to give you a little demonstration. Seein' is believin', after all!" Robin turned away from him, bent down, and burst into a full-on sprint into the dark. As she ran away from them, the spirited girl raised her bat overhead and yelled, "It's clobberin' time!"

"Wha—" Noah began, jaw dropping to the floor in horror. "_What the fuck_!?"

"Robin, you stupid dumbass!" Matthew yelled, voice cracking with panic. "Get back here before you get yourself killed!"

Luckily enough, one of the red spotlights broke away from the pile-up in the center in order to track Robin as she ran further and further away from them with Skadi in tow. At one point, she stopped abruptly and ran left, then turned right back around in the opposite direction and sprinted right. Noah and Matthew watched her spasm around the courtyard, the two of them thinking that Robin had gone completely off the deep-end. Eventually, Robin stopped and yelled, "Hah! Gotcha'!" before slamming her bat down.

There was a cry of pain on the downswing of Robin's weapon. When she raised it back up, Noah and Matthew could see black blood staining the wood. Apparently not done yet, Robin brought her bat down again and again and again and again, the cries of the unseen shadow drowning out the smack of wood against concrete. Eventually, the shadow's cries subsided. The only sound left was the sound of Robin making absolutely certain the shadow was dead.

All of the spotlights broke away from the center, turning back to white in the process. Rather than constantly scan the courtyard, the circular beams arranged themselves into orderly, organized rows. They fell into place one by one until they illuminated Robin and the felled shadow… or at least, what was left of it. In its place was a black streak, as if someone had tripped and knocked over a bucket of black paint.

Noah and Matthew approached Robin, but not without some hesitation. Bathed in the glow of one of the spotlights, Robin wiped sweat from her brow. Upon seeing Noah and Matthew, she smiled and beckoned for them to come over.

"Robin, what the hell was that?" Noah asked.

"Like I was tellin' ya." Robin snickered, rubbing her palms together. "Here in the shadow realm, I can see shit, cool shit though. Let's see… let's take you for instance." Robin pointed to the space next to Noah's head. "Persona: Odin. Arcana: Fool. Skills: Zio, Cleave, Dia."

"That's pretty nifty!" Matthew said. He pointed to himself. "Do me, do me!"

"I was gettin' to that." Robin said. She inspected the space next to Matthew's head and nodded. "Persona: Baldur. Arcana: Magician. Skills: Agi, Maragi, Fire Amp."

"So you're telling me you can see statistics for our Persona… as well as shadows?" Noah asked.

"Sounds about right." Robin nodded. "That shadow was runnin' like a bitch in the dark but I could always see its stats next to it, so it pretty much gave up and let me kill it. The box said it was weak to… fist, or somethin', and I guessed that meant physical shit and I was right. Street smarts, fellas! These shadows ain't nothin' now that I'm here!"

"All this time…" Matthew shook his head, covering his face with his hand. "All this time and I've been saying fireball like an idiot." He looked up at Robin. "What about Skadi?"

"Let's see… Persona: Skadi. Arcana: Justice. Skills: Bufu… Tarukaja, Rakunda? The hell?" Robin inspected the skills closer and snapped her fingers. "Oh, shit, that's pretty handy! I can buff you guys up and debuff shadows if needed."

Matthew's eyes lit up at. "Hey, try to buff me up."

"Huh? But the shadow's dead—"

"Just do it!"

Robin sighed and reluctantly stuck her hand out. "Ta… Tarukaja?"

A column of light starting from the ground enveloped Matthew's body. The outline of his form shimmered with a solid, golden glow. With a confident smirk, he hoisted his broadsword up off the ground with just his right arm. Testing the limits of his strength, Matthew swung the blade left, right, up, and down. From the looks of it, the spell had made wielding the heavy weapon almost effortless.

"Bitchin'!" Robin cheered, hopping up and down. She held her hand out and yelled, "Rakunda!"

Another column of light enveloped Matthew's body. Unlike the other column, however, this one was colored a deep, melancholy shade of blue. Matthew stared at the pulsing, alternating colors outlining his hands as Robin stepped forward and delivered a swift, solid punch to his stomach. The whites of Matthew's eyes bulged from their sockets as the poor young man doubled up on the spot, falling to his knees and wrapping his arms around his midsection.

"What the fuck, Robin!?" Matthew yelled, tears streaming from his eyes and blood dripping from his lips.

"What?" Robin mumbled innocently, coyly batting her eyelashes. "I needed to test it out on _some_body."

"No, stupid!" Matthew spat. "That's what the _shadows_ are for!"

"Whatever!" Robin shrugged. "Noah can patch you up! Right?"

Noah took one look at Matthew and clapped his hand over his mouth, stifling a laugh. "Sure thing."

**[] [] []**

**[ August 29****th****, 2012 | Lucia's Labyrinth – Floor ? | 12:00 AM ]**

As far as shadow variety was concerned, the prison system was proving itself to be a rather odd mixture of the expected and the outright bizarre. Some of the shadows—which Robin affectionately labeled as 'bacon beaters'—reflected the theme of Lucia's labyrinth well: rotund cops with pig-like eyes and massive holes blown through their torsos, cannon fodder shadow blobs, and to a lesser extent, lions burdened with iron balls chained to their legs. There were other shadows that seemed to fit the setting of a castle more than that of a prison, however: dancing broomsticks, mimic wardrobes whose interiors resembled iron maidens more than they did a clothing storage, and grandfather clocks that spammed spells of varying strength.

At some point in their trek through the labyrinth, the three Persona users lost track of which floor they were on. Each battle suffered was like adding more and more weight to a dumbbell bench-press. Eventually, Noah held a hand out as they proceeded down yet another gray hallway flanked by empty cells.

"Alright," Noah panted. "We need to take a breather. I don't want to completely wear us out before getting to Lucia. Let's rest up for a bit."

"G-Great idea." Matthew breathed a sigh of relief, propping himself up against a wall and sliding until he was sitting down.

"You guys tired already?" Robin shook her head in disappointment. "I'm just gettin' started! C'mon, let's go up one more floor. We can take it!"

"No." Noah said. "It's just as important to manage your energy as it is to fight shadows. Don't make the mistake of valuing one more than the other. Balance, Robin, is essential, like a healthy diet composed of all of the elements of a food pyramid."

Robin made a retching noise and pretended to vomit. "Ugh, and class ended how many hours ago?"

"He's got a point." Matthew interjected. "Besides, it'd be a bad idea to rush. Fighting shadows is a growing experience. We're all learning as we go along. You shouldn't take that time for granted because the shadows manifested from the negative emotions of people are a lot stronger than the natural shadows created from this world."

"Make it stop!" Robin moaned, clamping her hands over her ears. "Can we please move on to somethin' that doesn't make me want to impale myself on Matty's compensatin' needle stick?"

"Hey!"

"Good idea." Noah smiled, brushing off Matthew's heated glare. "Actually, I wanted to bring something up for discussion while we're here: how familiar are either of you with Lucia?"

"Ms. Rich Bitch?" Robin scoffed, ignoring the disapproving look Noah shot her.

"Ms. Unreciprocated Popularity?" Matthew added. When Noah didn't seem to understand, Matthew elaborated. "Well, Lucia has a lot of admirers at school for a variety of reasons: she's smart, talented, beautiful… it doesn't hurt that she also happens to be super wealthy, as you've seen tonight. Factor all this in and you've got a recipe for someone who's going to attract attention like a shark in a fish tank."

"So why the unreciprocated?"

"Because she don't give a shit about anyone besides herself." Robin cut in. "You've seen the way she treats everyone besides her boy-toy Griffith. Chick's heart's the size of a fuckin' raisin. You ain't squeezin' any juice outta' that lemon. Ain't happenin' today, ain't happenin' tomorrow, ain't happenin' ever. That's just facts."

"I've been meaning to ask…" Noah wondered aloud. "What on earth happened between you two?"

"Nothin'!" Robin exclaimed. "I don't know what the hell I did to her! She just doesn't like me and she never did!"

"There's got to be more to the story than that." Noah said cynically.

"Feel free to interrogate her when we've saved her sorry ass." Robin muttered. "I got nothin'."

"Matthew?" Noah prompted. "Got anything else to add?"

"Er… I don't think Lucia likes me very much at all. So I'm kind of in the same boat as Robin in that respect. I'll help save her, but it's a little awkward since none of us are really friends with her, you know? She's always been one of those girls that's way out of my league. I don't think she even knows I exist."

"Fuck that!" Robin shouted, walking over to Matthew and boxing him on the ear. "You've got your shit twisted son, it's the other way around! _She's _the one who ain't good enough for _you_, you hear me?"

"That hurts!" Matthew shouted back, red in the face.

"Glad you understand." Robin said, crossing her arms triumphantly.

Noah smiled, but kept his thoughts to himself. As much as he agreed with Robin's personal assessment, he wanted to avoid making any judgment calls until they'd seen Lucia confront her shadow. He knew that Robin and Matthew were well aware of this; after all, they had gone through the same exact process. Every fiber of Noah's being knew that what they were doing was just and good. He believed that what they were doing spoke volumes of their collective conviction. Here was Lucia, a girl none of them knew or even particularly liked all that much, yet they were risking life and limb in order to save her from whatever came as a consequence of succumbing to a shadow.

It was clear as day how greatly Robin disliked Lucia and, to a lesser extent, the same could have been said for even Matthew. But the fact remained that the two of them were here with Noah with one common, unifying goal in mind.

That was all that really mattered.

**[] [] []**

**[ August 29****th****, 2012 | Lucia's Labyrinth – Final Floor | 12:00 AM ]**

"This… doesn't look like something that belongs in a prison."

The three Persona users had finally arrived at what was presumably the top floor of the prison complex. The door waiting for them at the end of their long trek through the dungeon, however, went against any and all preconceived expectations. Against the gray plaster walls and empty cells, the door in front of them was absurdly out of place.

For one, the door was swathed in a dazzling palette of bright, eye-catching colors that demanded to be admired at close inspection. Gold tubes lined the framework and within the border were decorator roses complete with green, intertwining vines. An ominous red light spilled out beneath the gap at the bottom of the door.

Somewhat less pleasant were the words inscribed into the center of the door.

Solitary confinement, Lucia Kennedy.

Oddly enough, there weren't any slits or windows prison guards normally used to look into solitary confinement cells. Then again, there weren't really any security guards to speak of and the door itself was already atypical. Noah put his hand on the door and looked over his shoulder.

"Are you guys ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be." Robin said.

"It's now or never!" Matthew chimed.

With the encouragement of his friends at his back, Noah pushed the door open…

…And into the open air of an enormous, majestic, ballroom.

Everyone stood shock-still at the entrance. The prison looked large from the outside, but for this room to be here at the very top came as a surprise to each and every one of them. Noah and company slowly stepped through the door, taking in the sights one by one. A massive, ornate chandelier hung from the center of the ballroom's dome-shaped ceiling. The floor was painted with what looked to be solid gold, and there were all sorts of inscriptions and symbols engraved into it. Splashed across the rounded walls were a series of murals depicting well-known fairy tales. In the center of the ballroom directly below the chandelier was a rounded stage with a single table on top. There was a wilting rose covered in a glass case.

Sitting across from each other were none other than Lucia Kennedy… and her shadow.

It wasn't hard to tell which from which. The real Lucia was chained to the table and the floor by way of large, metal locks bound across her wrists and ankles. She was also, for whatever reason, dressed up in a flamboyant, billowing white dress. Shadow Lucia sat directly opposite of her wearing the clothes they had seen Lucia in earlier.

Lucia turned to look at them as they stepped into the ballroom. She seemed unfazed.

"Now I know I'm dreaming." Lucia said, staring Noah down as she addressed her Shadow off-handedly. "Noah, Robin, and some other fool I don't recognize. This is the second time I've had a dream with you in it, Scofield. We really must stop running into each other like this."

"S-Second time?" Matthew stammered. "What happened the first time?"

"This isn't a dream, Lucia!" Noah called, ignoring Matthew's inquiry. "The danger here is real."

"Danger?" Lucia's eyebrow rose up along with her tone. "The only dangerous one here is you, Noah. It's difficult to recall how many innocents you murdered the last time we met. Perhaps you could enlighten me?"

"How dense are you?" Robin interjected. "You're chained to the spot like a slave auction and you don't think you're in danger? Remind me to beat some sense into ya' once we save your sorry ass."

Lucia chuckled, tilting her head at Robin curiously. "_This, _however, is a first. I wonder what sort of insipid nonsense will spew out of your mouth this time around? Go on then, entertain the audience with your buffoonery! Let's all have a laugh at your expense, you wretched creature!"

"T-This bitch…" Robin muttered, grinding her teeth.

Suddenly, Shadow Lucia stood up from her spot at the table, silencing all of the chatter. She flashed the trio a derisive sneer before turning to her counterpart and smiling a wide, unnatural smile. "**Every time you open your mouth I'm forced to ask myself, 'who's the Shadow here? Me or her?' Have you done this before, perchance?**"

Lucia's attention returned to her Shadow as she clicked her tongue in irritation. "I'm at a loss as to whatever game you're playing at, but if your idea of fun involves dressing up as others and mocking them then you must have the worst sense of humor in the world."

It was Lucia's Shadow's turn to look annoyed. The smile on its face disappeared as she walked around the table, her hand tracing the edge of the rounded table. "**…Now that wasn't a very funny thing to say. That wasn't very funny at all.**"

It happened in a flash. Shadow Lucia raised her hand, balled it up into a fist, and socked Lucia square in the jaw. Lucia's eyes widened as her Shadow's knuckles came into contact with her face. The punch echoed in the ballroom as she stared at the ground in shock, drops of blood falling from her lips onto the platform.

"**Where has your spark gone now?**" Shadow Lucia asked, seizing a clump of Lucia's hair and pushing her back against the chair. "**Now that your friends are here, I thought you'd be more… inclined to submit to my demands. Was I wrong?**"

A simple glare was all Lucia had to offer to her Shadow.

"**I like that look in your eyes.**" Shadow Lucia murmured. "**It's so raw and uninhibited… why can't I be like this all the time? Why do we always have to lie about who we really are? To please the general populace? To avoid redefining the status quo? Why can't we all just kill each other?**"

"Disgusting!" Lucia snarled, wrenching her head out of Shadow Lucia's grasp. "You've revealed yourself to be the sham that you really are. I would never say that!"

"**You're right.**" Shadow Lucia agreed. "**You'd never say those things.**" The malevolent entity turned away from Lucia and stepped off the platform. She slowly walked towards the barrier separating them from Noah and company, her steps as slow and deliberate as the harsh words slipping from her tongue. "**But you think them. And I hear them. And thus, you have given birth to me in your own special little way. I have heard your trapped cries and I have answered your call. Why do you shun me now that I stand before you? Are you ashamed of me?**" A terrible smile comes across Shadow Lucia's face. "**Of yourself?**"

"Release me from these shackles and I'll show you how ashamed I am of you!" Lucia yelled, struggling to free herself from her bindings.

"Never thought I'd hear Princess say that." Robin said, clapping her hands.

"Robin!" Noah snapped.

"**Ah, do you like this side of me?**" Shadow Lucia pressed her hands up against the barrier and smiled at Robin. "**I envy how brazen you are. How easily you befriend others. Would you like to come here and teach me how to be a slut like you?**"

"Stop that!" Lucia shouted, her face turning a deep shade of red.

"**Stop what?**" Shadow Lucia giggled, whirling around and skipping back up onto the platform. She pinched Lucia's chin between her thumb and index finger and forced her to look into her eyes. "**Are you asking me to stop before we get to the juicy bits? The bits that force you to abandon your dignity and beg me to shut my mouth? But that wouldn't be fair to the audience! You need this, I need this… we all need this!**"

"I hate sitting around like this." Matthew muttered as Shadow Lucia pushed her counterpart further and further into a corner.

"I know how you feel." Noah nodded.

"It's a necessary process, ain't it?" Robin rubbed the tip of her nose and kicked at the barrier. "And it ain't like there's much we can do with this force field barrin' entry to the party. Not until she goes all, 'hell no you ain't me bitch!' Right?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Noah nodded again.

Shadow Lucia watched them with cool eyes from the other side. She twirled a strand of hair with her finger and petted Lucia with slow, methodical strokes. "**It doesn't appear as if your friends are taking this very seriously… doesn't that just reaffirm what you've been thinking all along? No one wants you. No one wants me.**"

"Nonsense." Lucia said simply, eyeing the trio with blank eyes. "This is a silly dream that just so happens to star two of the people I dislike the most in this infernal town. The sooner I wake from it, the better."

"**Oh, you poor thing.**" Shadow Lucia went behind Lucia and entwined her arms around Lucia's neck. "**Are you really that deep in denial? Do you think I forced you into that silly dress because I thought you'd look pretty?**" Shadow Lucia laughed loudly at the redness flaring in Lucia's cheeks.

"**All of this is in servitude to a higher purpose.** **Perhaps I will be the first to bask in the glow of our creator?**" Shadow Lucia stroked her hair, her smile as subdued as it was mysterious. Her eyes flickered to Lucia. "**Of course, that all depends on your heart's desire. Pray tell, what **_**is **_**your heart's desire?**" Shadow Lucia grinned unpleasantly. "**Is it Griffith?**"

_Creator? _Noah thought, curious. _What on earth…? _

Lucia twitched but maintained her composure. "No."

"**Ahahaha!**" Shadow Lucia wrapped her arms around her midsection and threw her head back, her laughter echoing to the roof. "**The look on your face is priceless! Did you and Griffith have a fight? Hm? Did you?**"

Lucia said nothing.

"**Always so incorrigible in your ways. But that's how we've always lived life, hasn't it? Pampered and spoiled rotten, never knowing the value of sacrifice and hard-work… we've grown up in a bubble that encourages misanthropy. We've grown up in such a way that we don't understand people and their ways. It makes establishing true, heart-to-heart relationships difficult, doesn't it?**"

Still, nothing. Not a twitch, not a blink of the eyes. Lucia was motionless.

"**And so you stayed rooted to the spot, never knowing how to love or to bond or to cherish anything or anyone but yourself. You've always held to the notion that you are incorruptible, that you are never wrong and that no one understands you. And the world said so. By ignoring you, fully and completely.**" There was a dreamy, far-off look in Shadow Lucia's eyes. She was enjoying this. "**But all it took was one.**"

Shadow Lucia had Lucia's attention now. There was a small gleam of panic in Lucia's eyes. She knew where her Shadow was going, but her pride stopped her from stopping her Shadow.

"**You hated him at first, but he insisted. Every time you pulled, he pushed. Back and forth, back and forth, until one day you relented and from that day on he never left your sight and he yours.**" Shadow Lucia laughed sharply. "**It was the best decision of your life. Over time, he taught you how to open up, how to be congenial, how to be truly ladylike, how to be a real person. And you were all the better for it, weren't you? That is… until she showed up.**"

A flash of yellow and Shadow Lucia's eyes were on Robin. Robin looked left, then right, and then pointed to herself with a confused expression on her face.

"**Griffith was always popular with others, but she infringed on your relationship like no other girl before. It was insulting, wasn't it? Losing to someone so boyish and rough. And you learned something else, something that Griffith hadn't taught you: jealousy.**"

Lucia whispered something but her Shadow was too far gone to stop now, twirling around the table and singing as she spoke.

"**The years have gone by and nothing's changed. Your relationship with Griffith is exactly the same as it started and that girl has only gotten closer while you stayed put, not knowing how to take it to the next level.**" Shadow Lucia stopped at the empty chair across Lucia's and plopped herself down, staring intently at the up-till-this-point-ignored wilting rose in the center of the table.

"**You are familiar with the tale of the Beauty and the Beast, correct?**" Shadow Lucia didn't wait for an answer. "**In the story, the focus centers primarily around two main characters: the beautiful young girl from some slipshod village who yearns for adventure and the terrible, unruly beast who lives in his castle and waits for the one who will break his spell before the rose he tends to wilts and dies lest he be trapped as a beast forever. Through a series of circumstantial events, the Beauty comes to the Beast. She hates him at first. He is not what he expected. He is brash, haughty, and so totally unlike everything she expected. He is no Prince Charming.**

"**But we all know how the story goes. Eventually, the two fall madly in love and, most thankfully, just before the last petal of the Beast's rose falls to the ground. He then becomes the Prince Charming she's always dreamed of and the two get married and live happily ever after.**" Shadow Lucia sighed dreamily and then immediately snorted in disgust. "**Your favorite fairy tale. You always pictured yourself as the Beauty and when you found Griffith, you thought you had found your Beast. But you were wrong.**"

Shadow Lucia leapt off of the table and walked behind Lucia's chair, her movements heavy and purposeful. From behind, Shadow Lucia clamped both her hands over Robin's head and wrenched it back, forcing her to look up at her Shadow's glowering yellow eyes.

"_**You're **_**the Beast in this story. And there's another crucial difference.**" Throughout Shadow Lucia's tirade, several petals had fallen off of the rose until one remained. Shadow Lucia forced Lucia to look at it and went in close, her lips brushing Lucia's ear. "**You will never find true love.**"

The final petal fell.

For the first time since Noah had met her, Lucia lost her razor-sharp edge. Her stoic face twisted into one of anger as she vigorously shook her head from side to side. "You wear my face yet nothing but lies spill from your mouth! You are a lie, you are a paradox, you do not exist! You are but a figment of my imagination in a nightmare! You are a living contradiction! You… you're…"

"**Go on.**" Shadow Lucia urged, her eyes pulsing like venom coursing through blood. "_**Say it.**_"

"Y-You're…"

"…"

"You're not me!"

"**Those are indeed the magic words!**" Shadow Lucia screeched. A blast of red exploded from Shadow Lucia's feet as she clambered up onto the table, her laughter wracking her body with a terrible mixture of pain and pleasure. As the barrier cutting the three Persona users off from her shattered, the aura engulfed Shadow Lucia's body, enveloping the malevolent entity in a fine, red mist.

Noah swallowed the lump in his throat and looked at Lucia. She was slumped in her chair and her eyes were blank. Seizing the opportunity, Noah commanded Odin to his side and dashed onto the raised platform. Odin's spear severed the chains binding Lucia to the table and as soon as she was free, Noah slipped his arms under her body and leapt off of the platform with her in tow.

"Lucia, are you awake?"

The shell-shocked girl didn't even register his voice, her blank eyes staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. Noah muttered a curse and approached Matthew and Robin with Lucia's body hanging limply in his arms.

"How's Princess holdin' up?"

"About as expected." Noah shrugged. He offered Lucia to Robin. "You want to hold her?"

"In your dreams!" Robin laughed.

"Oh, I'll do it!" Matthew said, waving his arm frantically.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Noah said, eyeing Matthew suspiciously. "Alright, here's the game plan guys: I'm going to head on back to one the lower floors and hide Lucia in one of the holding cells. I want you two to stall Shadow Lucia as long as you can until I get back. Think you can do that? I'll be as quick as I can, I promise."

"Leave it to us." Matthew nodded determinedly.

"This thing's as good as dead." Robin agreed. "'Sides, I think I'd rather fight a bloodthirsty monster of nightmares than put up with another second of that girl's narcissistic attitude."

"Okay." Noah nodded. "Don't die." With that, the Wild Card turned and left the room with Lucia in his arms, leaving Matthew and Robin to deal with Shadow Lucia.

As the red mist before them settled, the visage of a hulking beast could be seen thrashing about within. Its tremendous outline indicated something large and terrible, the head of the mysterious creature looming high above and knocking the chandelier in the center of the ceiling down to the floor.

The thing was hideous.

The monster resembled something like a fetus removed from its amniotic sac, yet its proportions were revoltingly adult-like. Massive, organic rose petals cushioned the bottom half of the creature, providing it a platform from which it could turn and move about. Its arms were fat, lumpy, and shuddering with untapped power. They were complimented by thick, blue veins running all the way down to its wrists. Anchoring the creature in place were dozens upon dozens of black, tentacle-like tubes that pumped strange, dark fluid into Shadow Lucia. Every now and then pores in the tubes' semi-permeable surface would widen, emitting a disgusting, foul, gas.

In stark contrast to the rest of its body, the Shadow's head was unchanged from its earlier form. Shadow Lucia glared down at everyone contemptuously, its dark yellow eyes burning with newfound hatred.

"**I am a Shadow.**" It recited. "**The true self.**"

Dark laughter echoed across the hall as Matthew doubled up next to Robin, his retching beaten only by the sound of Shadow Lucia's booming voice.

"**Gaze upon this twisted visage of my inner turmoil for as long as you can. Savor it… let it ingrain into your memory… for it will be the very last thing you see before your demise.**"

"God…" Matthew breathed, pinching his nose and struggling to regain his footing. "It's bad enough that Lucia of all people has a Shadow, but I never would've thought it'd be this fucked up… and the _smell_, dude!"

"Quit your complainin'!" Robin said, slapping Matthew's back. "We got this! You and your… Agi spells and me and my quick thinkin'!"

"You're not doing my confidence any favors." Matthew groaned.

**[] [] []**

**[ August 29****th****, 2012 | Lucia's Labyrinth – Penultimate Floor | 12:00 AM ]**

Noah jogged down an empty hallway and chose one of the empty cells lining the corridor at random. He pulled open the metal sliding door and stepped inside, quickly walking over to the bed and setting Lucia down onto the bunk. He examined his handiwork and fluffed up the pillow beneath her head. When he turned to leave, however, a hand slowly wrapped around his wrist and prevented him from exiting the cell. Noah looked over his shoulder at Lucia whose head was facing the wall.

"This…" Lucia whispered quietly. "…isn't a dream, is it?"

"Wish I could tell you different."

"So all of the things that thing—no, _I_—said," Lucia's voice quivered with a bubbling mixture of emotions, "You heard. You, Noah Scofield."

"I'm afraid so."

"As did those two other… people." Typically, Lucia would have used an insult to describe the lot of them but given the circumstances, she knew it was wrong.

"If it's any consolation, no one thinks any lesser of you for it."

"It isn't." Lucia said frankly. Her hand slipped from Noah's wrist as she turned her entire body to face the wall. "And if it should please you, I'd like to be left alone for a time. I have much to consider."

"Take as much time as you need." Noah stepped out of the cell and closed it shut, studying Lucia through the bars. Wishing to respect her wishes, he quickly departed and headed up the stairs to the top floor where Matthew and Robin were doing battle with Lucia's shadow.

**[] [] []**

**[ August 29****th****, 2012 | Lucia's Labyrinth – Final Floor | 12:00 AM ]**

"Matthew, you fuckin' idiot!" Robin stamped her foot as Matthew bore down on her with his sword and Balder, swinging left and right at Robin. "What in God's name do you think you're doin'!? Shadow Lucia's over there!"

"You can't trick me, Shadow!" Matthew snarled, kicking out at Robin's feet and causing her to stumble. He raised his sword high up overhead and brought it down with the full intention of goring Robin through the chest, but she managed to score a kick right between the legs and rolled out of the way, tarot card burning in hand.

"Don't make me do this, Matt, I'll seriously hurt you!" She smashed her card with her bat. "Skadi! Bufu the fuck outta' his feet!"

Shards of ice crept up at Matthew's heel, freezing him in place as he blindly swung his sword about.

"Undo your black magic, witch!" Matthew shrieked, losing his balance and falling onto his back with generous thump. Off to the side, Shadow Lucia took the opportunity to attack the frozen-in-place Matthew with one of her detached tubes.

"Gimme' a break!" Robin groaned, leaping between Matthew and the tube. Skadi appeared alongside Robin, deflecting the momentum of the attack with a magical barrier. From behind, Matthew latched onto Robin's shoulders and clamped down onto her neck, sinking his teeth into her exposed flesh. "Ow! Oh my God! What the fuck!? Did you just bite me!?"

"My incisors are more than enough of a match for you, Shadow!"

"Do you always talk like a nerd here?" Robin snarled, snapping her head back straight into Matthew's forehead. The collision elicited a cry of pain from the confused teenager as he teetered back once again, his feet still rooted firmly in place by Robin's Bufu magic.

The door to the ballroom opened and Noah burst through, taking in the scene in sight by sight. When his eyes fell upon Robin and Matthew struggling against each other with Shadow Lucia intercepting every so often, his jaw dropped in shock and confusion.

"What the hell are you two doing!?" Noah yelled.

"Don't look at me!" Robin complained. "Matty here got hit by some of the liquid in those tubes and then he started attackin' me like I was Shadow Lucia!" She thought a little harder and then added, "And he's talkin' like a loony!"

"Filthy Shadow!" Matthew bellowed. "Is there room for nothing else but lies in that black soul of yours!?"

"See what I mean?"

"Hold on, I think I have something." Noah dug around in his pocket and pulled out the Pixie card. Scanning the abilities list yielded several results: Dia, Patra, and Zio. He already knew what Dia and Zio did, so that only left…

_Patra: Cures blinding rage, crippling fear, and mystifying confusion. _

_That's it. _Noah thought. He held the card out in his hand and upon its destruction yelled a very different name than the one he's been using exclusively all this time.

"Pixie!"

"The hell?"

"Don't ignore me, Shadow!"

Noah directed the Pixie that appeared at his side to Matthew. "Patra!" A sparkling of yellow-green glitter rained down over Matthew's head, snapping the confused teenager out of his deception. Matthew looked left, right, up, and then down at his feet which were encased in blocks of ice. In a panic, he windmilled his arms and began hollering at top volume.

"Help!" Matthew screamed. "Help!"

"You have _two _Personas!?" Robin shouted, incredulous. "That ain't fair!"

"T-Two Personas?" Matthew groaned, rubbing his head and smacking his lips together. "And why do I taste blood? I don't remember getting hit… and my feet! Help!"

"Save it for later, guys." Noah ordered, sidling up to Matthew and Robin as he dismissed Pixie. "We've got a Shadow to kill. Odin, to me!"

"Watch out for the black shit, it'll throw you for a loop." Robin shot Matthew a warning glare. "Matthew."

"Huh? What'd I do?" Matthew looked over himself and noticed splotches of black smudged over his clothes. "…Oh."

"Yeah, _oh_."

"I said save it!" Noah cut in, clearly not in the mood for their banter.

"Yeesh, alright, alright, we got it." Robin said, rolling her eyes.

Matthew directed a light Agi spell at his feet and quickly hopped out of the melted puddle that came as a result. "Dunno' why I didn't think of that sooner."

"Robin?" Noah asked. "Can we get an analysis?"

"Alright. As I was _sayin' _before Matthew tried to kill me, Shadow Lucia's weakness lies in those tubes that are pumpin' that black stuff into her. If we can cut those off, then she's a goner. If we can't, well, then that same term applies to us. Matthew and I figured out a while ago that we need more than two people to distract Shadow Lucia's attention. She's got more than enough tubes for the both of us and she might have enough for all three. I dunno' who's doin' what but if we're dividin' duties then I think Matthew and I oughta' distract her while Noah goes 'round back and cuts off her lifeblood. I think we stand a good chance if we do things that way."

"Sounds like a plan." Matthew nodded.

"I'm not sure if I want to trust you two again," Noah said, "But if you think you can handle it then let's try it out."

The three Persona users broke from their huddle formation and approached Shadow Lucia together.

"**Do you think adding one more to your ranks increases your chances of victory?**" Shadow Lucia roared with laughter, some of her detached tubes smashing against the ground to accentuate her bemusement.

"Frankly, Princess, yeah." Robin sauntered up to Shadow Lucia with wide, exaggerated steps, her swagger matched only by the smile widening across her lips.

"You won't get me again!" Matthew taunted.

"**Such arrogance…**" Shadow Lucia mused as she summoned four tubes to deal with Matthew and Robin, two for each Persona user. Without warning, the tubes suddenly surged forward and attacked them head-on. Robin met her side of the enemy with gusto, knocking one of the tubes away with her bat and peppering the other with shards of ice. Matthew tried to slice one of the tubes as it came but it deftly maneuvered through his attack and collided straight with his midsection. He barely had time to breathe as he commanded Balder to keep its partner tube at bay as it attempted to take advantage of his downtime.

Meanwhile, Noah stealthily rounded around Shadow Lucia as Matthew and Robin kept it occupied. Just when he thought that Robin's plan would go smoothly, four of the tubes from the collection keeping Shadow Lucia locked in place detached from the floor and dove at Noah with incalculable speed.

"Holy shi—!" Noah was caught off guard as one of the tubes struck him square in the face, causing him to stumble. Another tube swept underneath, knocking him off balance and sending him crashing unceremoniously to the floor. "Odin!" Noah called as he face planted directly into the floor.

Odin appeared mid-air and sliced through the other two tubes that had yet to attack him. A shriek of pain suddenly sounded out from Shadow Lucia which encouraged Matthew and Robin to double their efforts and concentrate their assault.

"**Don't think I don't see you there you little rat!**" Shadow Lucia howled. "**It's not going to be that—**_**AARGH!**_"

"Eyes on me, Princess!"

"I _said _you wouldn't get me again!"

Noah seized the chance and quickly scrambled to his feet, throwing himself into the tubes alongside Odin. He stood at a distance as he commanded Odin to cut through the tubes like weeds, globs of the black liquid spilling all across the floor like puddles of blood. Realizing that the battle was quickly beginning to favor her opponents, Shadow Lucia refocused her efforts onto Noah rather than Matthew and Robin, sending one of her tubes behind her and detaching over a dozen more tubes.

_I knew it wouldn't be that easy._ Noah sighed to himself.

As he prepared himself to deal with the undulating mass of tubes, he felt a surge of power rush through his body starting from the top of his head to the very soles of his feet. Noah looked at his hands and caught a brief glimpse of tiny arcs of electricity jump all across his fingers and legs. The name of his new power came unbidden to his lips.

"Odin! Zionga!"

A hyper-charged bolt of electricity shot out from Odin's hands, far more powerful than the regular spells he had been using up until this point. The bolt struck Shadow Lucia's collection of tubes with immeasurable force, racing through the tubes and frying the insides within seconds.

The shriek of pain that followed his attack signaled that this battle was nearing its end. Noah looked left and saw Matthew and Robin actively attacking Shadow Lucia's main body which the Shadow had foolishly left exposed in order to attack Noah. Following their lead, Noah commanded Odin to cleave through Shadow Lucia's limp tubes with brutal swing after brutal swing. Shreds of Shadow Lucia's tubes scattered about the battlefield as Odin's spear tore through the tubes like butter until there were none left.

Soon, there was nothing left but a smoldering pile of torn tubes and black puddles of Shadow blood. The rose petals that cushioned Shadow Lucia's body were dry and dead and the mass of flesh contained within was collapsing unto itself. The roar of pain that accompanied its demise unsettled all of the Persona users, but they knew that anything involving Shadows was never going to be pretty.

Slowly but surely, Shadow Lucia's colossal body began to deteriorate into red, misty powder. Noah looked to the ballroom entrance and, sure enough, Lucia was peeking through the door unsure of what to do. When he looked back to Shadow Lucia's decomposing body, all that remained was Shadow Lucia's copycat Lucia body.

"C'mon Princess." Robin called. "We know you're there."

Noah frowned at Robin disapprovingly. "Don't rush her."

"Hey, this is for her benefit, not ours."

Though he didn't quite agree with her sensibilities, Noah would be lying if he said she didn't have a point. He, too, looked to the doorway and watched Lucia awkwardly sidle through the doorway, her billowy gown obstructing her movements. Lucia eyed the battle-scarred trio warily before approaching her Shadow with great trepidation.

"I've given some honest thought to all of this. To you." Lucia said as she stopped in front of her Shadow. "And I've come to a conclusion."

"**Is it the fact that you're a petty, pathetic, jealous, misanthropic bitch?**"

"…I wouldn't have used those words," Lucia said, "But I… I suppose you're correct."

"**Suppose?**" Shadow Lucia laughed scornfully. "**Let's not pretend, please. That you're still trying to maintain this façade of pride after all of this is embarrassing to you and I.**"

Lucia's blood boiled but she kept a lid on her anger. "Y-You want the truth, then?"

"**If you would be so kind.**" Shadow Lucia said, mocking Lucia's upper-class dialect.

"…Nothing you said was false." Lucia admitted after an uncomfortable silence, biting her lip and holding her arm with her hand. "Your… frank claims against the nature of my childhood are very real. I didn't even get the chance to experience public schooling until I was in middle school and by then I was clueless as to how to approach a normal conversation with another. And middle schoolers are not keen to major deviations from the norm.

"I… Griffith was the first true friend I ever had. The _only _true friend I ever had. I've had many acquaintances and admirers and 'friends', but no one quite like Griffith. The day I met him, he insisted on being my bodyguard against the middle schoolers that meant me harm but I told him that he could go soak his head in a bucket. Naturally, he didn't give and eventually, I caved in to his demands.

"All of my faults, all of my selfishness and my posturing and my ingratitude Griffith accepted. He was fully aware of my imperfections yet he stayed the course and bore with it." Lucia shook her head regretfully. "That I'm only beginning to realize this must reflect poorly on my ability to empathize with others, but I've never claimed to be better than what I am. And Griffith was always the only person to be truly okay with that.

"It… pains me to admit this, but I grew quite jealous of the Tesla girl." Lucia glanced at Robin uneasily before shifting her gaze back onto the floor. "I didn't even know what I was feeling at the time, all I knew was that it was not good and that she was an enemy. Perhaps it was foolish to let those emotions stick into my high school years, but I… I wasn't mature enough to let that go and as a result my hatred for her only grew exponentially.

"If there's anything I've always been, it's smart. I can logic my way through the brains of an individual in a second but when it comes to matters of the heart, I find myself at a loss. I suppose this whole ordeal was one big exercise in that sort of thing, and it all comes back to the conclusion I arrived at earlier while I was alone in the cell.

Lucia kneeled down and faced her Shadow with a straight face. She stayed like this for a good while, examining her Shadow's features.

A tender smile broke across Lucia's lips.

"I wish for love." Lucia declared. "To understand it, to experience it, to be engulfed by it. And the first step down that path means accepting you, accepting myself and coming to terms with what defines my imperfections."

Shadow Lucia smiled in kind and bowed her head.

"You are I." Lucia said. "And I, you."

Beginning from the head down, Shadow Lucia deteriorated into soft, but striking blue lights. From the heavens descended a tarot card depicting a woman dressed in saintly garb and marked by the glow of the moon. Lucia held a hand out and caught the card in mid-air, eyeing it tiredly. Her ears perked up as she heard the arcana of the card speak solely to her and she shut her eyes, drinking in the atmosphere of the moment.

"Sif…?" Lucia asked. "The pleasure is mine."

As the card was absorbed into Lucia's chest, a ghostly vision of her Persona appeared before her. A confident, powerful looking woman dressed from head to toe in ornate, silver armor hovered in Lucia's field of vision. She had long, flowing, golden hair not unlike Lucia's and there was a short sword and shield combo attached to a belt at its waist. A velvet blue cape hung from the Persona's shoulders, blowing in a wind that none but solely it felt.

Lucia smiled up at her Persona and nodded as it disappeared into the ether.

"…Princess?" Robin was the first to approach Lucia. "How you holdin' up?"

"Well." Lucia said, struggling to her feet on wobbly legs. "This is embarrassing. I played no role in the fight yet I feel faint."

"But you're okay, right?" Noah added next to Robin.

"I believe I will be." Lucia said. She swayed on the spot and nearly fell but Robin quickly stepped in and caught her. "Not that I don't appreciate everything you all have done for me, but this feels… well, a bit awkward."

"You're tellin' me." Robin smirked.

Lucia took a moment to study the rest of the group.

"Noah. And…?"

"Matthew." Matthew said. "We've met, but you, er, probably forgot about me."

"Most likely." Lucia agreed. She looked at Robin who was supporting her with her arm. Suddenly, tears began to form in her eyes.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Robin said. "The hell's up with you, Princess? You're safe, ain't nothin' you need to worry about now!"

"It's not that, it's Griffith." Lucia sobbed, rubbing her eyes with her hands and truly crying for the first time in what amounted to years. "If only you'd seen the look on his face when I left him on the beach today… oh, God, he probably doesn't want to see me ever again!"

"Hey, cheer up!" Robin encouraged. "Just wait. Tomorrow he's gonna' be jumpin' down your neck askin' you what's botherin' you. He's probably been up all night wonderin' why you were so mean to him. Don't worry Princess, he'll be back in your life before you know it."

"…Do you really believe that?"

"'Course!" Robin said.

"I never thought I'd be thanking you, Tesla, but here I am, finding myself doing just that." Lucia caught Robin off guard with a smile, something she had never bestowed upon her since the day they had met. "Thank you."

"Man, no wonder Griffith's always stickin' to you like glue." Robin ruffled Lucia's hair in much the same manner Griffith did. "You're pretty cute when you ain't bein' so mean!"

"Take your hands off of me!"

Robin rolled her eyes and sighed quietly. "_There's _the Princess I know."

* * *

**[Social Links:]**

_Fool (The Team): 3 + 1 = __**4**__  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 3  
Emperor (Griffith): 2  
Priestess (Lucia): 3 + 1 = __**4**__  
Strength (Alice): 0  
Sun (Grace): 1  
Devil (Nathaniel): 2  
Moon (David): 1_**  
**_Hermit (Monica): 1  
Lovers (Maria): 1  
Hanged Man (Christopher): 1  
Tower (Seth): 3  
Temperance (Aunt Catherine + Robert): 3  
Hierophant (Samuel): 1  
Death (Gwendolyn): 1_


	17. Chapter 17, Ceremony

Chapter 17 – Ceremony

**[ September 1****st****, 2012 | Catherine + Robert's Apartment | 5:32 PM ]**

"Remind me again why you're doing this?"

Noah wrinkled his nose and tried to keep a straight face as Catherine leaned in and fixed his tie for him. He was already dressed in a dress suit, shirt, dress pants, and formal shoes. All that was left was the tie and he was ashamed to admit he didn't even know where to begin tying it. He had to ask Catherine to come in and do it for him and even then it wasn't turning out as well as he'd hoped. Noah gagged when Catherine secured the fabric a little too tightly around his neck.

"Ugh!" Noah choked, slipping his finger underneath the tie and loosening it.

Catherine rolled her eyes and adjusted the fitting to his likening. When the knot was fastened into the notch of Noah's shirt, she stepped back and examined Noah from head to toe, turning him around so he could get a good look at himself in the closet mirror.

Not even Noah would deny the simple truth of the fact that he looked good. The one suit he owned fit the build of his body well and the brief hint of cologne that hung around his person only served to amplify his overall appeal. Noah's light-brown hair was combed to the side, giving anyone that wanted it an ample view of his stormy blue-gray eyes. Catherine lent him one of Robert's ties against both Robert's and Noah's wishes, but in the end they reached a compromise in which Noah would take over some of Robert's house chores for a week if he decided to use it. Noah saw it as both an opportunity to get closer to his uncle and relieve some of the built-up tension between them so, naturally, he was all too eager to place himself into a position of debt.

"You look so handsome! You're going to knock your girlfriend off of her feet!" Catherine cooed. "You have your mother's eyes."

Noah chuckled and kissed Catherine lightly on the forehead. "Thanks auntie, but this isn't a date. Just an arranged dinner, nothing more."

"You realize that's exactly what a date _is_, right?" Catherine giggled, running her fingers through Noah's hair and examining his face with uncompromised love and joy. "It doesn't take much to get you to look good, does it? I wish you'd comb your hair more and get some more sleep. You always look like you've pulled a heavy night of studying."

_Hoo, boy._ Noah thought. _You have no idea. _

"I can't make any promises." Noah said.

"You always say that but you end up doing it anyway." Catherine sighed. "Anyway I realize this isn't a 'date' since you insist so much that it's not, but can I at least ask who you're seeing? Name? Age?" Catherine's lips curled into a mischievous grin. "Is she pretty?"

"How are you so sure it's a she?" Noah teased.

Oddly enough—though her expression remained disgruntled—she didn't appear to be entirely opposed to the idea if her resigned silence was anything to go by. Noah chuckled at her expense and humorously patted her cheek.

"I'm only joking!" He laughed. "She's a senior from Glasswater High School. Her name is Lucia Kennedy. Looks… I don't know. She's _okay_, I guess." That was, of course, a complete lie. Noah didn't exactly have a 'standard' for what constituted a good-looking female but even he could not deny Lucia's physical charms. All he really wanted was to avoid giving Catherine more cannon fodder to humiliate him with.

That wasn't what Catherine was hearing, however. "Kennedy?" She murmured, her eyes wide with surprise. "The rich folk from the upper district? You're going to _their _house?"

"Not their house, no. I was asked to come to a restaurant. "

"Wow." Catherine said, leering at Noah with twinkling eyes. "The Kennedy's are the wealthiest family in Glasswater and you're about to go on a dinner date with their daughter. Alright Noah, I'll admit it. I'm impressed!"

"It's not like that." Noah said, pushing his incessant aunt off of his arm. "We're friends who're just getting to know each other a little bit, that's all."

"Over an all-expenses-paid meal courtesy of Glasswater's finest." Catherine remarked dryly.

"I'll bring you and Robert something when I get back." Noah laughed, giving his aunt a quick hug as he prepared to leave. "Is there anything else you needed to tell me or can I go now? I've got a long walk ahead of me."

Catherine glanced out the window and cocked her head, pointing a finger at something outside. Noah followed her line of sight and spotted a sleek, black limousine parked at the curb. He had to blink once or twice in order to make sure that what he was seeing wasn't a hoax and when it dawned on him that the limousine belonged to Lucia as evidenced by the surname 'Kennedy' plastered in gold lettering on the side, his jaw dropped to the floor.

"Wow." Catherine repeated. "You weren't kidding."

"I didn't ask her to bring a limousine!" Noah exclaimed, walking up to the sliding glass pane and pressing his face against it in disbelief. "How does she know where I live?"

"Money talks!" Catherine chirped, pulling Noah away from the window and pushing him towards the door. "Anyway, we don't want to keep the Kennedy's of all people waiting! Hurry up Noah! There's a man standing by the car and I think he's waiting for you!"

"Wait!" Noah pleaded, dragging his feet against the carpet in protest. "I don't know if I want to do this anymore! I don't want to be seen driven around in a car like that! What will people think?"

"Nonsense! Besides, who cares what people think? Not you and certainly not me! If people want to believe that you're dating the Kennedy heir then let them believe!" Catherine's speel ended with her shoving him unceremoniously out the door and Noah rolling his eyes at how poorly his aunt was at concealing her ulterior motives. Just before shutting the door completely, Catherine peeked through the gap and waved. "Bye-bye Noah! Have fun on your date!"

"For the last time, it's not a da—" But the door closed before he could get a word in edgewise.

Noah sighed, got to his feet, and trudged down the hallway, the events of the day prior beginning to reel in his mind.

**[] [] []**

**[ August 31****st****, 2012 | Glasswater High School – Cafeteria | 12:10 PM ]**

_For the better part of the day, things had been going normally for Noah, Matthew, and Robin. They walked to school together, lazed about in class together, and now they were in the cafeteria eating lunch together. Lucia had been absent the day before. There was no doubt in any of their minds that she had taken the day off in order to rest up after facing her Shadow. They had done most of the fighting, but they all knew how demanding confronting one's personal demons could be, Matthew and Robin in particular. _

"_You know," Noah mused, his mouth stuffed to the brim with the school's closest approximation to mashed potatoes, "I haven't seen Griffith today or yesterday. That has me a little worried." _

"_You think his clock needs a tampon too?" _

"_Really, Robin?" Matthew cringed._

"_Lighten up guys." When Noah and Matthew's disapproving stares failed to break, Robin relented. "Fine, fine, have it your way. You think his clock is red now too?" _

"_Right on the money." Noah said. "I called his cell and he hasn't picked up giving me even more reason to believe that he could be in danger. Do any of you know where he lives?" Noah's question was answered with clueless shrugs. "Okay, fair enough. But there's one person who probably does have that information. That's—" _

"_Good afternoon." _

_As if on command, the three Persona users let out a cry of surprise. Heads turned and three pairs of eyes landed on Lucia Kennedy who stood by their table with her bag slung over her shoulder and her features worn, but significantly improved over how she looked after facing her Shadow. She nodded to the empty seat next to Matthew and gave him a questioning stare. _

"_H-Huh? Oh, um… y-yeah, go right ahead." Matthew scooted over and winced as Lucia calmly occupied the seat. Ignoring the gaping stares from the three seated around her, she nonchalantly began setting out various Tupperware containers onto the table. Once she was done, she looked up and frowned. _

"_Don't mind me." Lucia said as she reached into a side-pocket and withdrew a set of ornate wooden chopsticks. "Continue with your discussion." _

_Noah quickly cast his gaze around the room and took note that much of the attention in the room was focused on the four of them. It wasn't as if he could blame them since, after all, they made an odd group. First there was he, the 'mysterious' transfer student from the west coast. Second there was Matthew, the shy, quiet, introverted loner. Third there was Robin, the rambunctious loud-mouthed go-getter who was always sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Last but far from least was Lucia, the stonehearted Princess of Glasswater High School and the sole daughter of the Kennedy family. _

_The fact that she seemed to care so little after so short a period of time was, frankly, disconcerting. Given the circumstances, all of them knew that it was inevitable that they'd be seeing more of Lucia. Whether she liked it or not, she was one of them now. Knowing how she operated however, it was a genuine shock to see her sitting at their table like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Noah leaned over the table and addressed Lucia directly. _

"_Hey, are you okay with this?" He looked around the room again and, sure enough, people were talking… specifically, talking about them. "These people notice you with us." _

"_I am aware." Lucia shrugged as she brought a roll of sushi to her mouth. "Does it matter?" _

_She had a point. A brief flicker of shame flared within Noah's heart for saying something so insensitive, though he knew Lucia probably didn't care. _

"_Fair enough." Noah said as he pressed a hand to his temple. "Since you're here, I might as well ask while we're still on the subject. Do you have any idea where Griffith is?" _

_There was an uncomfortable pause on Lucia's end as she stopped chewing. She slowly swallowed the in her mouth before she said, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to admit that that's… partly the reason I'm here." Her eyes darted around the cafeteria. "Normally I eat lunch with Griffith on the track benches but he seemed to be absent today. I was going to eat there alone but then I decided that it would be much more productive if I spent lunch here. If it pleases you, I had an offer I'd like to extend to you all if you so choose to accept it."_

_Robin was too busy staring at her bean burrito in disbelief. "That nutcase actually sits down to eat at lunch? If that ain't a miracle I dunno' what is." _

"_A proposition?" Noah asked, curious._

"_Indeed." Lucia nodded. "But before we get to that, you asked me if I knew about Griffith's whereabouts. What was that all about?" _

"_Well, we were talking about some things and we were starting to get worried. You weren't here yesterday and neither was Griffith. We chalked it up to sickness or whatever but it turns out he doesn't show up today either. Two days in a row? We figured something's up. And we intend to figure out what that might be." _

"_I see." Lucia said. "Well if it's his address you desire then I can help you with that. I've been to his home on several occasions to help him with homework." _

"_That'd be awesome!" Noah exclaimed. "And if at all possible, I'd like to get that done before midnight tonight. Do you think you can do that?" _

"_I can…" Lucia said. "But why tonight?" _

_Noah jabbed his thumb in Robin's direction. "It's kind of a long story so I'll give you the synopsis. After Robin faced her Shadow in her labyrinth, she gained the ability to see clocks." As expected, Noah's explanation went completely over Lucia's head. "By that, I mean every living person she lays eyes on has a clock alongside them. In the shadow realm, her ability instead allows her to analyze allies and enemies for strengths and weaknesses. Anyway, as far as we know there's no consistency between times or rates at which the clocks advance, but with you we found there might be one constant linking us all together. All of our clocks—Persona users, mind you—are frozen at twelve. In addition to that, your clock was red. We figured that meant you were going to be transported to the shadow realm and at precisely twelve that's exactly what happened."_

"_That's… quite a bit to take in." Lucia murmured, folding her hands on the table and pondering the information. "I have a question."_

"_I might have an answer." _

"_What if someone is caught outside of their home when the clock strikes twelve and their clock is red?"Lucia's eyes narrowed inquisitively. "Is there a difference?" _

"_We don't know." Noah admitted, shaking his head. "We've been having either really good luck or really bad luck since everyone's been at home when it's twelve. I don't know what would happen if what you suggested came to pass and I'm not sure if I'm willing to find out."_

"_I thought as much." Lucia sighed resignedly. She settled back into her chair and then suddenly leaned forward, slapping her palm against the table in indignation. "And another thing!" _

"_W-What?" Noah asked, startled by her outburst. _

"_Do we always return to the room of the individual who confronts his or her shadow? If I may be blunt, sneaking you all out at one in the morning was… unpleasant." _

"_Yo, I was gonna' bring that up!" Robin piped up excitedly. "Who knew you were such a rule-breaker, Princess? Security cameras, hidden trapdoors, fold-out ladders… you're one shark pool away from a bona-fide Bond-villain lair!" _

_In a spastic fit of panic, Lucia leaned over the table and clamped her hand over Robin's mouth, effectively muffling her chattering. She hazarded another glance around the cafeteria and when she was certain no one was listening in on their conversation, she let go and sat back in her chair. _

"_I would appreciate it very much if you kept that information to yourself." Lucia hissed. _

"_Hey," Robin shrugged, "I'm just sayin' I thought it was pretty cool, don't gotta' get all pissy about it. You thought it was cool too, right Matt?" _

_Matthew—who Noah noticed had been oddly complacent ever since Lucia's arrival—looked up from his untouched food. "Y-Yeah!" He agreed, nodding his head a little too vigorously. "Super cool!" _

_Robin gave him an odd look but didn't investigate further. She turned back to Lucia and rapped her knuckles on the table. "Now that we're done dispensin' with business, can we get back to that proposition you were mentionin' earlier?" _

"_Of course." Lucia said as she delivered one more clump of rice to her mouth. Once swallowed, she dabbed at her lips with a napkin and cleared her throat. "If your schedules permit it, I cordially invite each of you to a one-on-one session with yours truly at the Tartarus this Saturday starting at four in the afternoon."_

_There was silence at first. Noah had no clue what she was talking about, but going off of the stunned looks on Robin and Matthew's faces, it was clear that what Lucia was inviting them to was of no small consequence. Robin slapped her palms on the table and leaned forward, a thin film of saliva gathering at the corner of her lips. "Tartarus?" She asked, thunderstruck. "The Tartarus?" _

"_The one and only." Lucia nodded. _

"_Okay, someone needs to fill me in." Noah said. "What's Tartarus?" _

"_What's Tartarus, the man asks." Robin chuckled as she shook her head sagely. "Tartarus is the crown jewel of Glasswater's high-flyin' dinin'. When people think of upper-class in this little 'ol town, they think of Taratrus. When you wanna' take a relationship to the next level, you take it to Tartarus. When you wanna' impress, Tartarus is the first and last thing on your mind, the alpha and omega of culinary cuisine. What's Tartarus, Noah?" Robin pumped her fist to the ceiling and set her foot on the edge of the lunchroom table. "Taratrus is life incarnate." _

_Noah wrinkled his nose at Robin and directed his next inquiry to Lucia. _

"_One on one sessions? Why can't you do it all at once?" _

"_As lovely as it is having you all here at once," Lucia muttered dryly, "I'd like to get to know you all on a deeper level. I don't imagine this whole… Persona business will be going away anytime soon so in order to help facilitate proper teamwork and coordination, I'd like to familiarize myself with my comrade-in-arms in a more controlled setting." _

"_You don't think separating us is counter-intuitive to your goals?" Noah asked. _

"_Not at all." Lucia said, shaking her head. "There will be plenty of opportunities to interact with you all as a group in the future, so I'm taking this one chance to see you all in an individualized setting." _

"_Fair enough." Noah nodded. "So wait, if you're inviting us to Taratrus, then—" _

"_All expenses will be covered by me." Lucia said. _

"_Are you okay with that?" Noah asked incredulously. "This Tartarus place doesn't sound cheap."_

"_As I said, all expenses will be covered and paid for." Lucia swallowed and began twirling a strand of her hair, her eyes shifting away from the group for a split-second. "…And I thought it would be appropriate since you all worked so hard to save my life. A paltry meal, no matter the expense, could never even hope to cover the cost of that kind of gift." _

"_You're thinkin' too hard about this, Princess." Robin chimed in. _

_A quiet groan sounded from Lucia. "I've been meaning to bring this up but could you drop that ridiculous moniker?"_

"_What? Princess?" Robin looked thoughtful for a moment but ended up shaking her head. "I would, but callin' you by your real name's just weird at this point. So I'll stick with the nickname, if that's cool with you." _

"_It absolutely is not!" Lucia said sternly, fixing Robin with a look far more typical of her usual self. "It's a stupid name that is a product of the rumor mill and nothing more. The sooner it stops circulating around this school, the better." _

_On the cusp of a retort, Robin opened her mouth to speak but stopped short of herself, her gaze shifting past Lucia in surprise. Her eyes bounced between Lucia and the unknown stranger that was approaching their table. Lucia frowned and turned around in her seat in order to identify the source of Robin's nervous fidgeting and when she did, her heart started doing backflips. _

"_Yo, Noah." Griffith greeted tiredly. His voice was flat and there was a distinct lack of energy in his body's movements. Griffith's eyes passed over the rest of the table. "Robin, Matt." Lucia lowered her head and quietly began trying to make herself more invisible. Everyone noticed him ignore her presence, but no one was willing to say anything about it, Lucia especially. _

"_Griffith." Noah acknowledged. "How are you? Are you okay after what happened on Wednesday?" _

"_What? Oh, that?" Griffith's laughed bitterly. "That whole mess with Nathaniel? It's whatever. Not like I was expecting things to go well when I saw him with you. I know how he is and he isn't ever going to change… and… yo, speaking of Nathaniel." Griffith fixed Noah with a curious stare, his lips turning down into a disapproving scowl. "The hell were you doing with him? I'm not gonna' sit here and judge you for who you choose to chill with but Nathaniel's dangerous, Noah. I thought you'd be smarter than that." _

"_He wanted to talk to me about something." Noah answered. _

"_What the hell about?" Griffith asked, his expression twisting into one of confusion and frustration. "Look, I get it bro. You wanna' get chummy with all of the dudes in Glasswater, I feel you. But you need to recognize sooner 'stead of later that not everyone wants to be pals, that guy in particular. I'm warning you Noah, for your own sake, not mine. Stop seeing Nathaniel. You're going to get hurt." _

"…_I wasn't planning on being his friend." Noah mumbled under his breath, looking away from Griffith towards Lucia who was sulking in her chair. Seeing her so downtrodden gave him reason to give Griffith a disapproving glare of his own. "Speaking of friends…" _

"_What about 'em?" Griffith muttered, folding his arms. _

_Noah's lips parted as he glanced at Lucia. Her fists were tightly balled up in her lap and he could see her biting down hard on her lip, drawing a small line of blood. Under normal circumstances, he knew exactly what he would have done or at least tried to have done: get the two to reconcile their differences. Something prevented him from proceeding with that course of action however, something that warned him that there was more to this than what met the eye._

_Just as he was about to reply, Lucia did instead. _

"_Griffith," Lucia whispered, turning her head but making a point of avoiding eye contact. "I… I'm…" _

"_Anyway," Griffith continued, blindsiding Lucia's heartfelt attempts at an apology, "That's all I really wanted to talk to you about." He made to leave but remembered something and turned back to the group. "One last thing. Apparently we got a field trip coming up in 'bout a week. Faculty's been talking about it for a while. Some big city on an island, don't really remember the name. Anyway that's all I really wanted to talk to you about. Enjoy your meal, bud. I'm gonna' go blow off some steam on the track. Check you later." _

_As he turned around and stalked away, Lucia raised her head and watched him leave, a lump of unease forming in her throat. She grabbed fistfuls of her skirt with trembling hands. Though she looked devastated that Griffith had chosen to completely disregard her presence, her face remained void of any tears. Somewhat more disconcerting than that was the look of utter hopelessness in place of it. Noah looked at Matthew and Robin who each wanted to say something yet were unsure as to how to voice their comfort. _

_To Noah's utter surprise, Matthew took the initiative. _

"_H-Hey." The nervous youth stammered, drawing Lucia's attention. Despondent and dejected, she looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm s-sure if we talk to him, h-he'll make up with you. R-Right Noah?" _

_Noah smiled warmly and nodded. "You don't have to worry about a thing, Lucia. You'll be getting ice cream with Griffith again in no time." _

"_Damn right!" Robin concurred, slamming the tabletop with a clenched fist. "Hell if I know what kind of drama's goin' on 'tween you two but we'll set him straight Princess, believe that!"_

_Lucia remained silent, but her pout lifted a smidgen and some of the color returned to her face. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at her half-eaten food forlornly. _

"_This marks the first occasion where Griffith has actually listened to me when I ordered him to leave me alone." The sigh that followed that admission was shaken and uneven. "I'm not sure I like the feeling that entails." _

"_Yo," Robin said. "If it's any consolation, his clock ain't red." _

"_I suppose that's good news." Lucia nodded slowly. She thought about something and then posed her question to the rest of the group. "I don't suppose you'd have the answer to this but have you ever considered the possibility that the transformation of clocks is linked to the emotional instability of its owner? I don't know how it went for you all, but before I was taken to that horrible place, I was… distraught." _

"_I guess…" Matthew said._

"_Kinda'? Robin answered. _

"_Interesting." Lucia mused as she looked to Noah expectantly._

"_Er…" Noah laughed awkwardly. "Actually, I wouldn't really know. I kind of got my Persona without facing my Shadow." _

_Lucia nodded absentmindedly as if that were the most normal thing in the world but her eyes soon bulged from their sockets once she realized what he had just said. "Excuse me? What do you mean you didn't face your Shadow? How do you skip something like that? How do you have a Persona?" She threw worried looks at Matthew and Robin in turn. "Can he do that? Is he allowed to jump over that step?" _

"_We don't really know much either, Princess." Robin said. "We trust him. That's what counts, ain't it?" _

"_Even still—" _

_But before Lucia could get another word in, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. Students across the cafeteria began standing up from their seats, gathering their trays and backpacks and heading out the double-doors to their respective classrooms. Lucia blew a frustrated sigh as she glared at the clock, but she let the matter go and nodded to the three of them. _

"_I suppose that's enough for today. Scofield has my number, so I'll keep in touch. Be watchful for my call, I'll be letting you know the time as soon as I've corroborated a schedule. Stay safe, everyone. I'll be seeing you all tomorrow." _

**[] [] []**

**[ September 1****st****, 2012 | The Kennedy Limousine | 5:49 PM ]**

The heavy silence permeating the atmosphere of the somehow-stuffy-yet-still-air-conditioned limousine was nigh on palatable. Noah sat alone in the back seat, twiddling his thumbs nervously and trying not to meet the gaze of the driver in the rearview mirror. The drive to Tartarus was nearing its end and in retrospect, the ride had not lasted as long as it had felt. Knowing that did little to dispel the mind-numbing awkwardness pervading the space between them and Noah was all-too-eager to leave the suffocating silence as soon as was humanly possible.

"So, Noah, was it?" The driver suddenly spoke, prompting conversation. "How did you come to know my charge?'

"Mutual friendships." Noah replied.

Another brief interlude of silence followed before Noah asked, "What about you? How did you start working for the Kennedys? Do you enjoy doing what you do?"

Noah could see the butler's face turn red as the man suppressed a smile. "It has its ups and downs, I suppose. Maintaining vigilance with the Miss has proven to be a… special little challenge all on its own."

Noah laughed politely. "Why do you say that?"

The driver met Noah's eyes in the mirror. "Can I trust that you'll keep what I tell you strictly between us and us alone?"

"…Sure?"

Somewhat melodramatically, the driver threw his eyes back onto the road while moaning in agony. "Oh, good lord, where do I even begin? Perhaps I should start at the beginning when the Miss was a child? Or maybe I should just skip ahead to the present? The blackmail? The cameras? The microphones? The records? The _lies_?"

"On second thought," Noah interrupted uneasily, "maybe you don't have to—"

"The _disrespect_?" The butler was practically frothing at the mouth by this point. "I don't ask for much. In fact, I don't ask for anything. I thought I finally caught a break when I met Amber and… rules and regulations be damned, but the Miss just _had _to botch it up even more!"

"Um…"

"I understand!" The butler ranted. "Really, I do! You're frustrated! You don't like being cooped up at home! You didn't know it but I supported you when you asked your mother and father to attend public school! But if you could just stop and put yourself in my shoes for _one second_, then maybe you'd understand!"

"Ugh…"

"But no!" The butler shrieked into the steering wheel. "Wouldn't want you to break a damn nail now, would we? Everything has to go your way, all the time of every day of every week! What about Arthur? What about what he wants? Selfish, arrogant, stuck-up, little…"

"…"

"The worst part is I can't tell anyone about anything!" Arthur wailed, the quality of his driving declining in proportion to his mood. "Sworn to secrecy for God knows how long! 'Oh, Arthur, how are you so good at your job? Oh, Arthur, what's your secret to keeping the Miss happy?' It's all one big scandal!"

"Arthur?"

Hearing his own name brought him back to reality. Arthur smiled sheepishly, glancing uneasily at Noah in the mirror. "I apologize. I got a little carried away."

"It's alright." Noah said. "You said… more than enough."

"Understand that it's not that I dislike the Miss or anything." Arthur sighed, rotating the wheel and turning the limousine around a corner. "If anything, she treats me like an older brother and I do my best to treat her in kind while maintaining a professional relationship at all times. But she makes it difficult to keep my job since she's always threatening to have it taken away every time I open my mouth."

"Who's Amber?" Noah asked.

The car swerved as soon as the name was gone from his lips. Arthur struggled to steady the vehicle and flashed Noah yet another one of his nervous looks. "Remembered that, did you? She's… ugh… I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"My lips are sealed." Noah declared, miming the motion.

"I don't… oh, I suppose it won't do any harm. She's the head-maid of the Kennedy household. Several years ago—when Lucia was still a child—Amber and I entered into a relationship of sorts. The romantic kind, you know. The only problem with what we were doing is that relationships are strictly forbidden amongst employees and, well…" Arthur laughed uncomfortably as he tugged at the collar of his shirt. "Things got a little out of hand one night and who else but the Miss decides to stroll on in and catch us in the act. At that point she was well on her way to becoming the manipulating little… er, I mean, talented young woman she is today. Naturally I was blackmailed into submission and ever since then I've been what essentially amounts to her personal errand boy."

"I had no idea Lucia was such a rotten little kid." Noah laughed. "But I can't say I'm surprised either."

"If that's the case, then there's a lot that wouldn't surprise you." Arthur chuckled, looking thoughtful. "What does surprise me is what I'm doing right now. You probably don't know this, but this is the first time I've escorted friends of Lucia in this limousine."

"Really?" Noah tilted his head, curious.

"Yes." Arthur nodded. "You three make an odd bunch, you know that?"

"You escorted Matthew and Robin earlier too, didn't you?"

"Indeed." Arthur squinted, trying to recall their faces in his head. "Matthew, the poor lad, was stiff as a board the whole ride and it took some effort to coax him to step out of the limousine. Robin on the other hand wouldn't stop talking. It's a wonder I could hear myself think over her—pardon my rudeness—inane babbling. I'm shocked the Miss puts up with it."

"Sounds like them alright." Noah laughed.

"You are by far the most normal of the lot." Arthur remarked. "Or as the Miss puts it, the 'boring' one, her words not mine. Yet I can't help but notice that she's mentioned you the most, lately even more so than that Griffith character."

"That _is_ weird." Noah agreed.

"Feel free to ask her yourself if you so desire." Arthur said, pushing his foot onto the brake and bringing the vehicle to a smooth stop next to a curb. "We have arrived at our destination, Mr. Scofield. I will return once I've been notified that the dinner is over. Enjoy."

**[] [] []**

**[ September 1****st****, 2012 | Tartarus | 6:04 PM ]**

If there was anything to say about the towering building looming before him, it was that no expense had been spared both in its design and construction. On his walk home with Robin and Matthew the day Lucia invited them out to Tartarus, Robin had done nothing but sing its praises until they parted. Noah wondered how she could be so excited about a restaurant she had never visited, let alone seen. Everything she told them was passed down to her from online websites and town newspapers. At the time it had just been annoying but now that he was here experiencing it with his own eyes, he could see verily well that her lavish exaltations were not just for show.

Tartarus was stunning. From the bed of flowers racing up the dizzyingly tiled walkway to the marble pillar arches creating a makeshift tunnel, there was no end to the renowned restaurant's majesty. For reasons unknown to Noah, the design and decoration of the building was thematically Greek. There were large pots sparsely scattered across the walkway depicting the types of pictures Noah had seen on Greek pottery in museums and history lectures. The pillared archway leading up to the entrance split off into a shell of innumerable pillars that surrounded the building's perimeter. Nestled at the top of the building was a triangular roof with all sorts of figures and animals chiseled into the stonework.

As Noah's eyes wandered across Taratrus' extravagant designs, he recalled what it reminded him of from his brief studies in world history: the Parthenon.

Noah stood there awkwardly as a handful of adults strode past him, a few of them casting him odd looks. He mustered up what little pride he had and began walking towards the entrance, trying his hardest to ignore the curious stares he was drawing from the other patrons.

_Wonder how Matthew and Robin felt walking here. _Noah thought as he arrived at the open doors. He could see a receptionist desk straight ahead and, directly behind it, the grand hallway where everyone was eating. The roof of the building stretched up high with incredible chandeliers hanging from it. Coupled with the electrical lighting in the room were torches lit with what appeared to be real fire leaning out of thin marble pillars interspersed throughout the dining hall.

_Christ. _Noah thought, letting his eyes take in the insanely detailed murals splashed across the walls. _This isn't my scene at all. _

With a heavy sigh, Noah walked into Tartarus and up to the receptionist desk where a man who reminded him of Arthur stood, a bright smile etched into his lips. He bowed as Noah approached and said, "Welcome to Tartarus, sir, where no two visits are ever quite the same."

"H-Hello." Noah greeted. He looked over his shoulder and suddenly broke into a nervous sweat. A line was beginning to form up behind him and all of the adults in it were looking down at him disapprovingly.

_Damn. _Noah swore. _I knew something like this would happen._

"Do you have a reservation?" The receptionist asked, properly and politely.

"Yeah," Noah said. "I'm Noah Scofield. I believe I have a reservation with Lucia Kennedy at six?"

Noah could hear the adults devolve into quiet whispers as soon as her name left his lips. He paid them no mind as the receptionist looked through his list and nodded, taking a pen to his name and crossing it out. "You are indeed scheduled to eat with Ms. Kenndy. Come right this way, sir. Her table is right over here."

He could feel the eyes of the people in line boring into his back as he left with the receptionist to Lucia's table. Noah dared to look over his shoulder once more and, sure enough, they were looking at him. He shook his head in disbelief and wondered briefly at what he was getting himself into. Only recently did he discover from his aunt that Lucia's family was the wealthiest in Glasswater and having that knowledge only served to heighten the growing sense of unrest in his stomach.

It was a personal flaw he was very much aware of but was having trouble dealing with on a case-by-case basis: caring entirely too much about what others thought of him.

They arrived quickly, quickly enough for Noah to bar any negative thoughts from mucking about with his thought process.

"And here we are." The receptionist declared, stopping next to Lucia's table and bowing once more for posterity's sake. "One of our waiters will be with you shortly to take your order. We hope you enjoy your stay here."

Noah looked to Lucia and nearly choked, the air traveling down his nose catching in his throat, his jaw winding tighter and tighter until he felt it would lock into place forever. Put bluntly, Lucia looked stunning and it was made all the more nerve-wracking when she smiled at him as their eyes met.

She wore a loose, light-blue blouse that hung low on one side, exposing her shoulder. The ends of her hair were tied into an intricate braid that hung over the side of her neck. There was a golden cross necklace hanging around her neck and as she stood up from the table to greet him he could see her jet black skirt that complimented her upper wear well. Noah had to fight down the heat rising to his face as she stuck her hand out and nodded formally.

"Good evening, Scofield." Lucia greeted. He swallowed and took her hand. "I'm delighted you were able to make it. You look very handsome tonight."

"Happy to be here." Noah choked out, taking his seat and avoiding meeting her eyes. "You… uh… look great too."

Mercifully, a waiter came and handed Noah and Lucia a menu, nodding to the two of them as he left to return back to the kitchen. Noah propped the menu up onto the table so that the only part of his face that was exposed to her was his eyes across the top. He flicked through the pages and for a moment was taken away from the girl sitting across from him as he gawked at the ludicrous prices Tartarus charged for their meals.

"Don't be shy about what you want." Lucia said as she began looking through her own menu. "As I said before, all expenses will be covered by me. The price is negligible."

"You haven't eaten yet?" Noah asked. "Didn't Matthew and Robin come before me?"

"Indeed they did." Lucia murmured, not taking her eyes off of the pages. "But I wanted to save the meal for the last person."

"So you just talked while they ate?"

Lucia took her eyes off of the menu and sighed, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. "More or less, I suppose."

Noah arched his eyebrows. "Did something go wrong?"

"I wouldn't quite put it that way." Lucia grunted. "Though if I'm laying all my cards on the table, I'll admit that they both proved difficult in their own special ways."

"How so?"

"I'll start with the quiet one." She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, searching for Matthew's name on her tongue. "Martin… Marco… Mason…"

"…Matthew." Noah finished for her.

"That's the one! Matthew!" Lucia's small celebration was cut short as she sheepishly avoided Noah's displeased stare. "…I apologize. He helped rescue me yet I can't even so much as remember his name. I'm trying, really I am, but he won't—"

"—Talk." Noah sighed.

"He barely said a word the entire time." Lucia said. "And when it came time to order, all he suggested were items off the appetizer menu. He just mumbled about how expensive everything was and that the prices of the items were highway robbery. I told him the same thing I told you but he wouldn't budge an inch. Then when the food came all he did was eat… which is the main reason I invited you all, I admit, but I was the one asking all the questions and whatever came out of his mouth weren't answers, that I am positive about."

"I'm sorry." Noah apologized, setting his menu down and offering Lucia an apologetic smile on Matthew's behalf. "I know how he is. He's nervous around people he doesn't know."

"That was part of the reason I did all of this." Lucia continued. "Sort of a 'getting to know you' exercise. Don't misunderstand, I am grateful for all of the things he did for my sake, but it'll be difficult to work with someone who won't even talk to me. You know?"

"I know." Noah nodded. "Matthew's going to take some work and some patience too while you're at it. Don't tell him I told you this but he thinks you're some kind of regal figure that, and I quote, 'wouldn't give me the time of day.' I think some other things were said about you being out of his league."

"Ridiculous." Lucia scowled. She looked irritated for a bit but her features softened with time. "I realize that I may have been difficult to approach before but I'm trying to change that. How can I do that if he won't see me as someone on the same level as him?"

"Like I said," Noah shrugged, "Patience. He'll come around soon enough. I'll bug him about it for you, don't worry, make him see the light or whatever."

Before the conversation could continue, a waiter came to the table with a notepad and a pen. He smiled at the two of them and raised the items in his hand. "Are you two ready to order yet?"

"Yes." Lucia drew her finger down the list and pointed to one of the items on the menu. "I'll be having the alfredo fettucini with broccoli and mandarin orange salad as a side." She set hers down and looked at Noah expectantly.

"I'll have the spaghetti with clams." Noah decided.

"Excellent choices." The waiter smiled as he took both of their menus off of the table. "I'll be back with your orders as soon as they're ready."

Once he was gone, Noah refocused his attention back to Lucia and continued their discussion. "What about Robin? How did hers go?"

Lucia buried her face in her palms and let out an agonizing moan. "Heavens above. Don't get me started on Robin, please. Looking back on it I honestly don't know which was worse, Matthew's complete inability to socialize or Robin's incessant, nonstop chatter."

"I bet Robin was having fun." Noah chuckled.

"That's one way of putting it. First of all!" Lucia snapped, folding her arms and looking irritable. "Did I not specify that you all come to this venue in proper attire? You clearly have. Matthew at least _tried_. But Robin?" Lucia shook her head, her expression one of utter disgust. "Sports jacket, t-shirt, and jogging pants. And a _baseball cap_. Not dressing up for the occasion is one thing, but what Robin did was on an entirely different level of disgraceful. If only you'd seen the looks on the other guests when she walked in. No doubt my mother and father have already caught wind that I'm spending my time with homeless vagabonds."

"Okay, whoa," Noah said, frowning at her disapprovingly, "Not cool."

"_I _didn't call her that," Lucia said defensively, "The other people did. It's not like I care what they think of me."

"Fair enough." Noah relented.

"I haven't even touched on how the actual meal went. I had to remind her that this was a restaurant, not a family buffet, but I might as well have been talking to a brick wall for all the good it did me. I lost count at how many items she ordered at approximately the same time she began extolling her 'Persona wisdom'."

"Persona wisdom, huh?" Noah laughed, an amused smile breaking across his lips. He stared at Lucia thoughtfully for a moment before he said, "That reminds me… I was going to ask you something about this whole Persona and Shadow business."

"Yes?"

"Do you really want to fight," Noah inquired, his eyes firmly locked onto Lucia's, "Or are you going to fight because you feel obligated to repay us for saving your life?"

The question caught Lucia off-guard, but she didn't avoid Noah's watchful gaze. "May I be frank?"

Noah chuckled and shrugged. "You always are."

"Truthfully, I don't know if I am prepared to join your cause." Lucia crafted her words with meticulous precision. It was hard for Noah to tell, but Lucia admitting her weakness to him outside the context of facing her Shadow was difficult. The uncomfortable silence before her next sentence was more than enough proof of that. "I'm sorry for sounding like a broken record but I'll say it again: it's not that I'm ungrateful that you saved my life, but—"

"Stop." Noah interjected, raising a hand before she could finish. "That's enough. I don't care what your reasons are because I never planned on pressuring you to join us. Matthew and Robin made their choices, fully aware and fully conscious of the consequences of their actions. Every day when I wake up I remind myself to be thankful that they did because I wouldn't be here right now if not for them. That being said," Noah smiled gently, the rigidity in his voice softening, "I respect whatever decision you choose to make. There will be no judgment from me and I promise that you will hear nothing from Matthew or Robin. Have I made myself clear?"

Lucia regarded Noah curiously, her expression indecipherable. Eventually, she nodded and briefly bowed her head. "You have my thanks, Scofield. If there's any way I can assist you outside of that other world, do not hesitate to let me know. Whatever resources you require I will do my best to provide."

Though he would never admit to it, the first thought that came to Noah's mind then was money. He imagined striding into the Velvet Room with wads of cash jutting out of his pockets like the branches in untrimmed hedges. He thought of reaching below the table and taking the whole box and buying up all of the booster packs, leaving a trail of paper bills in his wake.

The fantasy did not last long.

_As much as I'd like to,_ Noah thought resignedly, _I couldn't ask Lucia for that. _

"I'll do that." Noah nodded. "Thanks, Lucia."

"A pleasure doing business with you, Noah." Lucia pushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes as she leaned on her left elbow and rested her chin on her knuckles. "So if I understand this correctly, are you the leader of this group?"

"Huh?" Noah said, puzzled. "Leader?"

"Right." Lucia pointed a finger at him. "You, leader. The other two certainly treat you like one and you'll hear no complaints from me. You are most likely the best candidate for this. After all, you apparently are not limited to just one Persona so it's only natural seeing as you can change and adapt as the situation sees fit. Or at least that's what Robin tells me."

"I don't know." Noah shrugged. "Maybe someone better will come along later down the road. I've never really seen myself as the leader type. There's a hell of a lot of responsibility that comes with that kind of title."

"Perhaps." Lucia said. "Perhaps not. What's stopping you?"

"Because as much as I'd like to, I don't know if I want to be held accountable for all of the lives that are in our group. Way things are going, that number's probably going to get bigger over time. I don't know if I could handle someone dying under my leadership. The probability of that happening goes up as more people join us."

"I think you can do it." Lucia offered. "I'm sure Matthew and Robin do as well."

"I appreciate the sentiment." Noah sighed, drumming his fingers on the table. He was aware that his tone of voice still didn't sound convincing but at the end of the day, he didn't and wouldn't have anything approaching a definitive answer.

Lucia looked quiet, reflective. They sat there for a time, waiting for the food to arrive and staring off into space. Lucia suddenly looked up and said something quietly beneath her breath in a voice far too low for Noah to hear. He perked his ears and cocked his head towards her, confused.

"Excuse me?"

"I…" Lucia bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Scofield. If there's anything I said to give you cause to doubt yourself then I take it back."

"Huh?" Noah had no clue what she was getting at. "I'm sorry, I don't—"

"The other day when I confronted you after school." She blurted out hurriedly. "I told you to stay away from everyone I knew. And I did so based off of a silly dream. It was wrong of me to judge you off of something so fantastical and for that I apologize."

"Oh. That." Noah vaguely recalled Lucia recounting a dream to him where he apparently murdered dozens of people in cold blood… among other things.

"If it's any consolation," Lucia mumbled, turning a very acute shade of pink in the light of the dining hall. "I did not find the first half of the dream unpleasant."

"The first half?" Noah said, puzzled. Heat rushed to his cheeks once he realized what she was getting at. "But didn't I—"

"W-Well, it's not like it matters." Lucia stammered, turning her face away and looking relieved as she spotted the waiter approaching their table with their orders in hand. "The food has arrived."

Noah studied her flustered expression as she moved the provided handkerchief onto her lap and began jabbing her fork into the noodles, spinning and twisting them around her utensil until she had a sizable clump gathered around the metal prongs. Rather than pressing the matter any further, he smiled instead and relegated himself to enjoying his own meal and Lucia's company.

* * *

**[Social Links:]**

_Fool (The Team): 4  
Magician (Matthew): 2  
Justice (Robin): 3  
Emperor (Griffith): 2  
_**(!) **_Priestess (Lucia): 3 + 1 = __**4**__  
Strength (Alice): 0  
Sun (Grace): 1  
Devil (Nathaniel): 2  
Moon (David): 1_**  
**_Hermit (Monica): 1  
Lovers (Maria): 1  
Hanged Man (Christopher): 1  
Tower (Seth): 3  
_**(new!) **_Chariot (Arthur + Amber): 0 + 1 = __**1**__  
_**(!) **_Temperance (Catherine + Robert): 3 + 1 = __**4**__  
Hierophant (Samuel): 1  
Death (Gwendolyn): 1_


	18. Chapter 18, One by One

**Author's Note: **I apologize profusely for the extended delay. I was going to use finals as my (at the time, totally valid) excuse but then summer started and, well, everything kind of went out the window. Nonetheless, I'm happy to say that I'll be getting back into the swing of things. Just as a quick heads up,this chapter's going to be pretty experimental. If I like it, then other chapters like this (slew of Social Links) down the road may be similar in execution. If I don't—or if you don't, whatever the case may be—then I'll stick with more conventional storytelling.

Chapter 18 – One by One

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Convenience Store | 7:44 AM ]**

"You're joking."

I knew he was going to say something like that. I just _knew_. I had a shortlist on hand of things he might say like, 'Hey, April Fool's was five months ago!' Or, 'Haha, you're a riot Matt!' Or, 'Who are you and what did you do to the real Matthew?' Last night, after I was finished with all the homework from the week, I practiced. Must've spent hours coming up with all kinds of stupid scenarios. I don't know why I did. After all, Noah was someone I could trust. If there was anyone you could tell a huge, big secret to and know for sure that he wouldn't go spilling the beans to everyone on campus, it was Noah Scofield.

So why did I feel the need to go through all that trouble?

"Nope." I told him. "Dead serious."

He starting rubbing his eyes and looking at anything that wasn't at me. I knew what that look meant. Usually Noah was good at coming up with things to say to someone who needed to hear it, but I guess what I said to him _really _caught him off guard. I was a little disappointed, but I admit I wasn't surprised.

"You know what? Forget I said anything. Let's just go."

I turned to leave but Noah wasn't taking no for an answer. Right or wrong he'd get on your case once he knew something was up and something was definitely up now that things were all out in the open like this. His shoe connected with the back of my heel and it _hurt_. I spun around and just stared at him with this look that said all that really needed to be said, but I said it anyway because I was frustrated and I was depressed and _fuck my heel hurt. _Guy was wearing this face like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar with this big old shit-eating grin glued to his lips.

"We're not finished here, bud."

"Don't bud me." I snapped.

Noah dropped the act pretty quickly once he figured out I wasn't in the mood for his games. It's not that I didn't like him trying to cheer me up, nothing like that at all. But when you pour your heart out to someone you look up to as your mentor, no, best friend and he treats it like it's some big joke… there's a little less wriggle room for the bullshit. And right then, right there, I didn't have the patience for it.

"No, no," He bowed his head, sincerely apologetic and deeply remorseful. "Sorry Matt, didn't mean to treat it like a joke. It's just…"

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled. Ugh. Now _I _felt bad. Noah had that kind of power over you. Just a few seconds ago I was the one looking for the pity party and now I'm the one who wanted to clap him on the back. Something about the way he talked to me, to people in general made you feel like you were worth something. Having him pay attention to you felt good, it felt gratifying. I could never really explain it and I never really questioned it either. It happened and that was that. "Only other person who knows about this is Robin."

"How did she react?"

I scoffed loudly and bitterly. Robin found out about my secret when our friendship was still pretty rocky and it took a lot to get her to keep her mouth shut. There's a lot that went down when it was out there but I was pretty much her homework work-horse for a few months. Was it wrong of me to confide in her so soon? Absolutely, no question. Do I regret having done that? Now that, I'm not so sure.

"Used it as leverage against me and threatened to tell everyone if I didn't do what she asked."

He suddenly looked very angry. And when Noah got angry, I got scared. It took a lot to set him off. Up until that point, the only times I'd seen him lose his cool were in the shadow world and even then it took a good bit of provoking for him to get livid. And by provoking, I mean watching his friends get physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally abused.

"She what?" He stood up from the bench and started making a big show of fishing for his phone and dialing her number.

"Woah, woah! Relax!" The fire in his eyes didn't leave but he lowered his phone and gave me his attention. "It was a while ago when we didn't really know each other that well. We weren't exactly the best of buddies when I told her and, well… you can figure the rest out. Robin's changed a lot since then. I'm sure you can see that."

"If you say so." Noah smiled resignedly and took his seat. "So, why the stage? I was under the distinct impression that you were afraid of the limelight... and people in general."

Yeah, I know how it sounds. The stage? You can't mean _that _stage. Not the one where you get up and act and all that. Yes, _that _stage. Where the spotlights shine down on you and you get up and you show everyone what you're made of and they either love you or you get laughed into oblivion.

"When I was a kid, my parents took me to the local theatre to see this play, _Flowers for Algernon_. I didn't really understand it at the time and they said they probably should have left me at home with a babysitter but deep down, I loved it. I loved the idea of it. You know, a play. Getting up on stage and playing a part in something that everyone works together to create. I guess it's kind of bad to say that I can relate to him but I really empathized with the main guy."

Noah's polite nods stopped. "Wasn't he… retarded?"

"I was talking more about his loneliness and the fact that he was a social outcast part but…"

"…Awkward. Continue."

I sighed. This was going… not as well as I'd hoped it would? I had a sinking feeling that not even Noah would know what to say to me after this. Robin didn't and I'd known her for over a year. "Anyway, I just thought you deserved to know. Robin's really encouraging about it these days but I think she's only doing it because that's what a good friend does. And that's really nice and everything but I don't think she really means what she says and I can't… I can't really blame her for that. But that doesn't make it any less discouraging."

Noah was looking straight at me, but at the same time he wasn't. If I wanted to get metaphorical about it, I'd say he was there physically but his mind was on something else. He looked like he was searching for the right thing to say. I didn't even know if there was one and I was starting to feel like I didn't want to hear whatever was going to come out of that mouth of his. Not like I had the balls to tell him that or anything.

"Matthew…"

Here we go.

"…Honestly, dude, I really don't know what to tell you."

…Huh. That wasn't what was supposed to happen. I must have misheard him. I dialed my ears in and leaned forward with this really dumb, slack-jawed look on my face and the closer I get to Noah the more uncomfortable he looks. Scratch what I said earlier. This was going to shit a lot faster than I thought it would. It was time to retreat.

"Y-You know what?" Goddamn voice stuttered without my permission. "We should head to school. Robin's waiting for us and—"

"Actually, you know what? Screw that." Noah stood up next to me, put his hands on my shoulders, and looked me square in the eye with this look that said what was going to come out of his mouth next wasn't something I should take lightly. "I am behind you one-hundred percent. Whatever you want, whatever you need, if I can give it to you, just ask. If you want me to go up on stage with you and act, fuck it, I'll do it. Point is…" Deep breath. "I'm here for you, bro. That's all you really need to know."

My turn to be speechless.

The cool thing about Noah is that when he says he'll do something for you, he means it. He's the only person I know who talks a lot and walks the walk. He makes a lot of promises, but he sticks to his word too. Armed with that knowledge, I knew that what he'd just told me was the real deal. If I ever asked him to audition with me or something—and believe me, at the time, the thought was sorely tempting—I knew he would come through. That's just how he operated.

I guess it's just one of the dozens of reasons he'll always be my best friend.

No matter what.

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Glasswater High School - Courtyard | 12:20 PM ]**

Another day, another battle.

Dance battle, anyway.

I was pretty damn good at it too. Been honing my craft since I was a kid up north in the city and I haven't stopped dancing since the day I started. Some people called me crazy. Some people called me stupid. I had another word for it.

Passion.

Today wasn't anything special. Guy comes up to me when I'm practicing my isolations in one of the alcoves off of the courtyard and says he wants to battle. And you _know _I'm always up for a challenge. We start, and I let him go first to see what I'm up against. Toprock and a little bit of groundwork, but nothing flashy like air flairs or windmills. Technique's solid but he lacks flavor. Like he's going through the motions, like he's watched a video of someone doing it a thousand times until he had a certain movement burned into his brain and he just spits it back when it comes time to show everyone what he's got.

When I come back at him with my own dancing—spiced up with my own spin on the basics—I catch him flinch. He tries not to make it too obvious that he's impressed. You know the type. _Oh, that's neat, but I don't really care. Yawn. _But I can tell I've got him on the ropes and I haven't even gotten started. I've seen what he's brought to the table and I'm like, 'Did you pick that chicken up at the grocery? 'Cause my shit's homemade, bitch!'

Another friend of mine is sitting off to the side not really paying much attention to either of us. Monica Grant. Her nose is stuck in a book like it usually is and I know better than to bother her when she's getting into it. Contrary to popular belief, Monica was actually a really smart girl and a damn good student while we're on the subject. But Monica's also a slob, a hard-ass, and a generally all-around unpleasant person. It's shit like that that gets people talking about you behind your back. And in Monica's case, it was never about anything good. Like, 'Monica's dumb as a rock!' Or, 'Are you pretending to read that book so people will think you're smart?' Or, 'You must not have any friends because you're autistic.'

Guy who said that last one lost a tooth or two. And it wasn't because of me or Nathaniel.

Anyway, I'm doing my thing, right? Only problem is, someone sees me when I'm really getting down. And it's not like I had a beef with the guy, but my best friend did. And that made things a little awkward. I hadn't seen him since our little… incident, I guess we'll put it, and I made it pretty clear with my bud that I didn't want something like that ever to happen again. Naturally he told me that I should A.) stick a rusted pipe up my ass and B.) he didn't give two shits about what I thought and we got mad at each other and we still kind of are, but this is par for the course. We'd have our fight but we both knew we'd come running back into each other's arms at some point. Always did.

Male pride hard at work.

Noah fucking Scofield. I catch him strolling by out of the corner of my eye and he tosses us this real casual glance and keeps on walking but then the heel of his foot stops and he rewinds, steps back, and watches me while I'm flailing around like a schizophrenic on the cardboard I laid out at the beginning of lunch. Other guy who challenged me doesn't even notice him come up, too busy watching me do work on the ground.

But I stop, get up, dust myself off, and motion for him to go.

He looks me up and down and starts. But he's slower. Lazier. Less enthused. Because he knows I can serve up any dish he serves twice over and tastier too. My cards are all on the table. Straight flush. And he's only got deuces.

Eventually he stops and starts mumbling shit and walks off. Another day, another battle won. I'm not the best, not even close. I've got friends back at home who would wipe the floor with my ass and then toss me out into the dumpster bins. But this isn't the city. The passion for dance that I drowned in over there doesn't exist here so in this town, I am my friends in the city to these people. To them, I'm like some prodigy that doesn't deserve the praise.

Right now, though, that wasn't the issue.

Lunch is about ten minutes from ending and normally that time goes by quick but with Scofield staring me down across the way I've got a bad feeling it's going to feel like forever as long as he's here. Conscience is tugging at my stomach like a kid at an amusement park and there's nothing I can do to make him go away.

A million and one questions go through my mind while the fucking guy just stared at me like a creep. I remember thinking, _the hell does he want? Isn't he scared of me? Why is he here? Where are his friends? Does he get off on making people feel uncomfortable? _

I started to fold up my cardboard and then, _finally_, he talks.

"I didn't know you came to school."

That pissed me off for all the wrong reasons. I was assuming things he was assuming about me. He thought I was like Nathaniel. A no-good troublemaking drop-out with no future. A slacker with no drive and no ambition. On some of those accounts I'd say fair assessment. On others, bullshit. He thought I was too stupid for this place. He thought that all I did was my jam my thumb up my ass and bury my nose neck deep in Nathaniel's asshole.

Like I said, I was assuming a lot of things.

"Show's over." I said. "I don't wanna' see you here."

He didn't say anything but he didn't leave either and that only made me more angry. I'd like to think I'm a little more affable than Nathaniel but I spent a lot of time with him so I guess some of his bad traits rubbed off on me like irrational assumptions and baseless conclusions. All the guy gave me was this look like he was trying to make heads or tails about why I was here at school. Did I owe him an answer?

"I'm not the idiot that knocked you out and brought you to the apartment." I told Nathaniel I never wanted to see Noah ever again and the longer he was with me the more of a hypocrite I looked. "Beat it, Scofield. You're lucky Nathaniel didn't break any bones."

"You're lucky I didn't call the cops on you all." That shut me up real quick. I made this face and started packing up faster but the next thing to come out of his mouth caught me off guard. "But you're right, I am lucky. But not because Nathaniel didn't kill me. You told him to let me go. I just wanted to tell you thank you. Never got the chance to last time."

_Is this guy fuckin' serious?_ I thought.

"Do you want to eat somewhere?" He went on. "If you like, you can—"

"No." I cut him off right there. Hell was going to freeze over before I let Noah Scofield treat me out to dinner and I knew exactly what he was going to say next. All I had to say was, "Bad idea."

"I just want to make amends." Scofield pleaded.

"Make amends?" I said, not even trying to hide my impatience and frustration. "Nathaniel knocked you flat on your ass and dragged you to the lower districts so he could interrogate you about some supernatural bullshit. He could've _killed you_, Noah. And you wanna' make amends? Are you stupid or are you really that fuckin' stupid? You're like those girls that get beat by their boyfriends and then go crawling back for more. You ain't married, you don't have an obligation to see us anymore. Fuck, _we _should be making the amends, not you. I ain't telling you again, beat it."

He looked hurt and for God knows what reason, I actually felt a little guilty.

…Why? What the hell did I care?

_Because you should listen to him and see what he has to say. _

"You don't have to please Nathaniel, David." Monica interrupted. "He isn't here."

"And who asked you?" I muttered.

"Give the kid a chance. All I'm saying." Monica finally took her eyes off of her damn book. "'Specially after Nathaniel's little episode."

Give the kid a chance? _Give the kid a chance? _I hated the way she said it, like it was supposed to be that easy. Like there wouldn't be consequences farther down the road. A part of me, then, didn't want to admit that she wasn't as afraid of Nathaniel as I was. It wasn't like we were hostages, slaves to his will or anything stupid like that. But when Nathaniel got mad, he tended to get really, really drunk. And when that happened, people got hurt. The guy standing in front of us just happened to be his latest victim.

None of us were too keen on having repeat visitors. But I guess Monica was feeling dangerous.

"You want to talk?" I asked him, straight up. I looked at the half-folded cardboard on the ground and kicked at it with my foot. "If you can show me up in a battle within, oh, I dunno', one month? Then we'll talk. Shit, I'll answer any question you've got. But that's if—and _only if_—you beat me."

"A battle?" He looked confused. Did I have to spell it out for him or what?

"Yes," And I made extra sure to make my eye rolling extra obvious, "a battle. You and me. Right here. A month."

"A month?" Noah started to protest, like I figured he would.

"I'll go easy on you." I said. Then I smiled. "But not _too_ easy, you got me?"

"Take it or leave it." Monica murmured off-handedly, casually flipping a page and dog-earing the one she had just finished.

Poor guy looked defeated. Which was kind of the intent. I had a sixth-sense about this kind of thing. About whether someone's had any experience in my craft or not. But with Noah, I didn't need it and I bet Monica didn't either which is why she was going along with my plan. Maybe he'd heard of it but he's never touched it, never considered touching it. But if he wanted information—and God forbid, our friendship—he'd have to earn that through whatever means I deemed necessary.

Maybe it was out of left field. Maybe it was unfair. Maybe it was stupid. Maybe it was completely arbitrary. But, honestly, I couldn't give less of a shit. I was the one with the bargaining chip, not Noah. The more he stuck around, the more I started to figure Nathaniel was right. Noah threatened us with cop calls and Lord knows what else but he wouldn't follow through on his warnings. Something about him told me that there was something else he was after. Something that meant he wouldn't risk putting us through the system.

Either way, not like it would have mattered if he did. Nathaniel, Monica, me… we'd already been through the grinder. And we all came out of it with scars to prove it and pieces left behind in the cogs of the machine.

"I can't believe I'm saying this." Noah said, his hands on his face. "I'll do it. In a month. I'll… battle you, or whatever you were saying."

"Like Monica said, take it or—" I stopped.

…What?

No way.

"Hold on, you…" I looked at Monica and even she looked surprised. "You're going to? In a month? Against me?" My pitch went up an octave with every syllable. I couldn't help it.

"Whatever it takes to get you to open up." Noah shrugged, letting his hands fall to his side and giving us this lopsided smile. "In the end, I know it'll be worth it."

"Fuck off." Monica said while closing her book and looking all excited. "You serious? Scofield's down?"

"You heard the man." I nodded.

Right on cue, the bell rang. Scofield looked up and sighed a deep sigh that made me want to ask what was wrong. And I didn't know why. Scofield made me feel a lot of things. Sympathy. Anger. Sadness. And I'd seen his face less times than I could count on one hand. I looked at Monica and she nodded with approval. Two for two. The deal was done. All that was left was to give my seal of approval.

I stepped forward and extended my arm.

Scofield shook it firmly and without hesitation.

As much as I hated to admit it, I was starting to like this guy.

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Griffith's Home | 4:49 PM ]**

Gotta' own up to it. It's been a rough couple of days.

Pretty damn sure Lucia thinks I hate her guts which is complete bull. But now it's just awkward. It's not an easy problem to fix anymore and I let my fucking pride get the better of me. I know that. I dunno' if she does but she's been acting really different lately. Hell, she's sitting with Noah, Matthew, and _Robin_. Red flag if I ever saw one but it sure as hell didn't look like she was forcing herself to hang out with them. Real talk, she actually looked kind of happy, even when Robin kept trying to steal her food.

But there's the thing I don't understand. What the fuck happened? What did I miss?

Literally, day before, I'm grilling her about her antisocial crap and then she says she doesn't want to be friends anymore. I'm not alone here, right? I'm not the only one thinking there's something fishy going on?

I'm not very smart. She's told me that already, plenty. But if there's one thing I know through and through, it's her. Lucia Kennedy is not someone who just changes on a whim. Not when it comes to how she treats people. Either she 'tolerates' you or she flat-out hates your guts. And most of the people she and I know—including the folks she was sitting around at that lunch table with—fall into the latter category.

So when she just up and goes, '_This is goodbye, Griffith. It was fun while it lasted_,' it hurt like a motherfucker. Like I was some kind of disposable rag she was tossing into the trashcan. Still stings like a bitch when I remember it.

"You alright, man?"

I looked up across the table and realized then that my arms were folded really, really tight. Seth was chilling with me for a little bit, getting some homework done and planning to maybe play some basketball or something later. I needed to get my mind off of all the crap that'd been building up to that point and Seth was just the kind of bro I could count on to relieve some of that stress. Earlier on I'd been thinking about calling Noah up and seeing if he was free but… being upfront about it, I was kind of mad at him.

Not like it was his fault or anything. _He _wasn't the weird one; Lucia was the heart of the problem. But I would be lying if I said he didn't make things more confusing. I've seen some of the looks she's given him and sometimes I wonder how it's so easy for him. Like, why did I have to work so fucking long and so damn _hard_ just to get her to look at me and she sees this guy and next thing I know, she's sitting at a table with him casually shooting the shit like it was her job.

"…Yeah." I sighed. Calculus. Should've taken Statistics. I got cocky signing up for Senior classes and now it was biting me in the ass. I stared at problem sets in front of me and a part of me hoped that the answer would magically appear on my paper. Another part of me hoped I'd get a heart attack and die just so I wouldn't have to do submit this.

"You can stare at it all day." Seth grinned. "Not going to change a thing."

"Rotate the graph of the function about the x-axis." I read loudly.

"Easier than you think it is." Seth said.

It got a little quiet. I was pretty much a goner as far as the Mathematics was concerned but Seth was still writing his ass off. I leaned over his open textbook and frowned.

"What are you studying dude?" There was some kind of weird warrior on the page of his book, an armored, spear-wielding winged chick that was dolled up in some fancy armor riding a horse.

"General Mythology." Seth answered. His pencil didn't stop for a second. "This is…" He glanced at the page, nodded, and went back to his scribbling. "Norse, if you're into that."

I laughed, probably louder than what was appropriate going off of the look he gave me. "I didn't even know we had a General Mythology class. And the answer's no. Not really into all that fantasy stuff."

"You really ought to broaden your horizons." Seth mumbled, cracking his neck and subsequently his knuckles. "It'd do you some good. All you think about is Lucia and keeping your abs in check."

"Fuck you." That came out more bitterly than I wanted it to. It was a knee-jerk reaction to his teasing that was totally not me and I was shocked to hear it come out of my mouth. He was just as surprised as I was though, wide eyes and raised eyebrows, so I shut up and folded my arms. This wasn't what I had in mind when I invited him over to my place and I intended to keep it that way. "It's nothing, man. Let it go."

"How can I when you act like that?" Seth snapped. "Spill it, Griffith. I've seen you avoiding Lucia and its weirding me the fuck out."

"I said let it go. I don't want to talk about it."

"Griffith—"

"For fuck's sake, Seth!" My hands slammed the table and that right there pretty much ended it. "I said I don't want to talk about it, stop pushing it!"

"Is this about—"

I knew where he was going and I was not okay with it.

"No," I hissed, "It isn't. And for the record, I thought I made it pretty clear that I didn't want you to bring that up _ever _again. It's in the past, Seth, and I'm over it."

He went all quiet and mopey and I felt like an asshole in no time flat. "Just trying to help you, bro." He said. "I've never seen you act like this. _Ever_."

I sighed and dug into my back pocket for my wallet. If he wanted proof that I was serious then I was going to give it to him, no matter how many old wounds it opened. I flipped through a bunch of receipts and other useless scraps of paper until I found what I was looking for: a single photograph. I laid it flat out on the desk and slid it over to him, looking away and trying to make sure it wasn't too obvious that I was biting my lips. His eyes were on me, I could feel 'em. I felt open in a way I hadn't felt in ages.

I hated it.

"There." I muttered. "Throw it away, burn it up, whatever. I don't care."

"You are so full of it." Seth said, disgusted. I heard him slide the picture back to me and soon after his pencil started scratching paper. "Put that back. Only person you're going to hurt by getting rid of that picture is yourself. You're kidding yourself if you think otherwise."

I didn't budge, even though he was right. Annoyingly so.

"Look," I grunted, "I appreciate you trying to be a good friend and all but I want you to let me deal with this on my own. I know I usually hit you up when I'm looking for a shoulder to cry on or whatever but this is something that I need to solve with my hands, you know what I'm saying?"

"…Not really." He said, squinting at me. "But I guess I can respect that."

It got quiet and awkward, two things that almost never happened with Seth and me. I mean sure, we've gotten into disagreements but at least before we were always talking, even if we were at each other's throats. This was jus... uncomfortable. And in the worst kind of way too. Prolonged, silent, and drawn-out. We were on a sinking ship and I needed to right it before it was lost forever. So I went for a change of subject.

"So… what is this thing?" I nudged his book and he shot me the skeptical look again but I was genuinely curious this time, if only to swerve the topic of the day in a direction that wasn't about my stupid high school drama.

"You can read."

"Nah, I can't."

Seth sighed, glanced at the image, and then returned to his studying. "That's a valkyrie. In Norse mythology they picked who lived and who died during battles. The ones that get chosen—einherjar—go on to the afterlife Valhalla where they prepare for Ragnarok. Well, half of them do anyway. The other half go to some meadow. I dunno' who's the lucky one here but everyone probably dies in the end anyway which is a pretty common theme in Mythology in general."

Maybe Seth was right. I had to admit that that shit sounded pretty interesting.

"Ragnarok?" I asked. "What is that?"

"Haven't gotten that far yet." Seth murmured. "And if you'd shut up for a minute maybe we could both find out."

"Well, why spoil it now?" I reached under the table and started bouncing my basketball on the kitchen floor. "C'mon, let's flex those tired muscles."

Seth looked at his homework and then up at me. Right before he started writing again he seemed to think better of it and, instead, looked at me and smiled. The pencil in his hand went down and he finally closed the damn textbook.

"Fine, Griffith, you win. Let's go play some basketball."

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Griffith's Home | 5:30 PM ]**

Stalking the outside of Griffith's home with Robin and Matthew. If you'd told me I'd be doing this a month ago, I'd laugh at you and tell you to stop taking bath salts.

…But I suppose life has a way of upending your expectations.

To this day I'm still not quite certain if I'm glad or angry that I was essentially press-ganged into Noah's crew. I suppose that's a bit of a harsh sentiment but you give someone fantastical abilities like Personas and who in their right mind wouldn't feel a tinge of responsibility? The call to action?

In spite of my best efforts to ignore my conscience, I accompanied the trio to Griffith's house. I didn't have to. I could have just as easily given them an address, told them good day, and been on my merry way. But something told me that I had to go with them. That I _had _to go with Noah and see Griffith with my own two eyes. It wasn't as if I was confronting him in broad daylight or anything—no, that'd already happened earlier and that went _stunningly. _I would simply watch and wait with the others while Robin analyzed Griffith through whatever freakish means the other world had bestowed upon her.

I still felt bad. I still felt that my apology hadn't been enough and I sensed Noah knew that. I wasn't sure about Matthew or Robin—I'd made a point during our one-on-one sessions to do just that—but something told me Noah already knew. Perhaps it wasn't helping that I was still crouching at a distance from them, but I was trying my hardest. I acted like it was nothing but sitting at their table during lunch felt like I was forcing myself on stage to do a bit of stand-up comedy.

It didn't feel like me. But the me that I'd faced, my Shadow… did I really want to stay like that?

At first, I thought Noah was just another carbon copy of all the dolts with no voice of their own. He came off as another Matthew, the kind of person who saw me by my reputation rather than by the traits that defined me as an individual. But I was and had been proven wrong. I never gave Matthew a chance but he risked his life to save my own. Yet, still, he felt the need to act as if I was something untouchable, some kind of idol he could never be seen with lest he ruin the image I'd constructed for myself.

Frankly, it was incredibly frustrating. There were few words I could give to him for encouragement and ever since that night, I still hadn't really spoken to him as much as I had with Noah or Robin. At times, I found myself wondering why I was even with these people. They all put me off in their own special ways, Robin in particular.

But in the end, I couldn't help myself. I felt drawn to their cause. Like there was a role I still had to play, like something terrible would happen if I cut them off early. I was still hesitant to go diving into the other realm if another clock froze and every time I thought about it, Noah's words came ringing into my ears.

_I respect whatever decision you choose to make. There will be no judgment from me and I promise that you will hear nothing from Matthew or Robin. Have I made myself clear?_

On reflection, it was a very strange sort of comfort that Noah provided. I didn't consider him a friend yet. We weren't close by any stretch of the imagination. To an even greater extent, those sentiments could have been extended to Matthew and Robin. Yet whenever he spoke to me, whenever he gave me his undivided attention… for all intents and purposes, he was essentially the de facto leader of the group, so perhaps his ability to inspire was the result of some bizarre recognition of his status, his identity as a leader?

When I looked up, I noticed that the others had left from the bush we'd been hiding behind and were up against the sliding window door. Griffith and Seth had apparently left the building. I stood up and followed suit and when I sidled up next to Noah he indicated something left behind on the table with his finger.

"You were pretty cute as a middle-schooler." He chuckled, much to my chagrin.

I looked at the object Noah, Matthew, and Robin were looking at and when I did I could feel my stomach freeze. There was a photograph depicting a young girl sitting in a beam of sunlight. Her hair was a shade of blonde almost indistinguishable from mine and Noah's assumption that the girl was me in my younger days was not completely unbelievable. She wore a bright smile and the flowery, frilly dress bunching up around her ankles complimented her features quite well.

But there was a problem.

I'd never seen or worn the clothes on the blonde girl in the photograph. She looked incredibly similar to me at that age, but I knew in my heart and my mind that I was not that girl. She was someone Griffith had never mentioned to me, someone I had never seen or heard of. In all of the five years I'd known him, this girl was something of a complete mystery. I don't know quite exactly what I felt in that moment. It was a terrible, unhealthy mixture of gut feelings.

I felt like I was seeing someone I wasn't supposed to be seeing.

Aside from Arthur, Amber, and to a lesser extent, my parents, Griffith was truthfully the only other person I could call a friend. The worst thing about it was that I wasn't the one trying to keep our friendship afloat. If, anything, all I did was poke holes in the ship and watch as he desperately tried to remove all of the water with nothing but a rusty pail and his natural charisma.

It was no secret. I liked Griffith. More than a friend, in fact. But I never learned how to approach him with how I felt. I could never get a read on whether he felt the same and every day that passed by where I didn't tell him the truth felt like a missed opportunity. Now that we apparently weren't talking, I didn't know if I could salvage what was left of our fringed bond. No matter how much Robin tried to convince me otherwise, she would never be able to deter my immense skepticism.

Truly, Griffith had never reacted to my insults against his person this way. At the same time, however, I'd never attacked him the way I did that day on the beach.

The longer I kept looking at the picture, the more it felt like I was watching something break.

"The girl in that picture…" I whispered, more to myself than to the others. "That isn't me."

"It isn't?" Noah said, frowning.

"I don't know who that is." I continued. "I don't blame you for assuming things but make no mistake, the girl you see in that picture is not me. Griffith has made no mention of her."

"Ain't gonna' lie." Robin said, ever-so-eager to provide the rest of us with her pearls of wisdom. "If that ain't you, somethin' sketchy's goin' on."

I grimaced. "I assume Griffith's clock has frozen, then?"

The three of them turned their heads to look at me like I was some kind of idiot. "

"What?"

"Were you not paying attention, Lucia?" Noah asked.

"I can't blame Princess. I thought his would be too." Robin shrugged. "But Griffith was fine, oddly enough. The guy who we've gotta' worry about right now is Seth."

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Gwendolyn's Diary ]**

Today was a really good day. Nathan let me have some of his candy that he's been hiding from his parents, but Mrs. Catherine saw him and he got in a lot of trouble. We're not allowed to have candy but Mrs. Catherine said, 'just this once' so we got pretty lucky. Mrs. Catherine's been very happy lately. She buys us a lot of snacks and she plays with us a lot more.

Oh, I almost forgot! Noah visited me today!

He told me about all of his friends at school and how much fun he's having here. He said he was sorry he hasn't visited but I said it was okay.

I asked Noah what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said he wanted to wrestle wild animals in the jungle. I didn't want to hurt his feelings but I think Noah is a bad liar. When we all played tag and Noah was it, he couldn't catch anyone! I asked him about it later and he said if he tried his hardest we would never catch him. I still don't believe him, but this is our secret!

When Noah asked me what I wanted to be when I was grown-up, I said I wanted to be a doctor.

When he asked me why, I lied. This is another secret! Mom and Dad said I'm not supposed to tell anyone what's wrong with me and if I told him that then they would be sad.

I'm not worried. Mom and Dad said that I would get better and I believe them.

They wouldn't lie to me.

* * *

**[Social Links:]**

_Fool (The Team): 4__  
_**(!)**_Magician (Matthew): 2 + 1 = __**3**__  
__Justice (Robin): 3__  
__Emperor (Griffith): 2__  
__Priestess (Lucia): 4__  
__Strength (Alice): 0__  
__Sun (Grace): 1__  
__Devil (Nathaniel): 2__  
_**(!)**_Moon (David): 1 + 1 = __**2**_**  
****(!) **_Hermit (Monica): 1 + 1 = __**2**__  
__Lovers (Maria): 1__  
__Hanged Man (Christopher): 1__  
__Tower (Seth): 3__  
__Chariot (Arthur + Amber): 1__  
__Temperance (Catherine + Robert): 4__  
__Hierophant (Samuel): 1__  
_**(!)**_Death (Gwendolyn): 1 + 1 = __**2**_


	19. Chapter 19, Downfall

**Author's Note: **As interesting as it was writing in first-person for various characters, I'll be the first to admit that it wasn't exactly easy. It was a fun experiment but one I'm not likely to return to anytime soon. I'll definitely come back to Chapter 18 later down the road and rewrite it in third-person but for the foreseeable future, there won't be any drastic changes like that again. As always, I hope you enjoy _Nameless_, and thank you so much for the feedback everyone! It means a lot and I sincerely appreciate it.

* * *

Chapter 19 – Downfall

**[ November 18****th****, 2011 | Glasswater High School – Library | 3:02 PM ]**

"_Another good Friday down the fuckin' drain." _

_With a loud groan, Robin slammed herself into the seat opposite of Matthew and lazily tossed her backpack onto the table. The zipper had not been fully closed, so books and papers crashed into Matthew's lap. He timidly began reorganizing Robin's school materials as she propped her feet up on the table and watched him with a look of complete detachment. Once Matthew was finished, he pulled his backpack off the floor and forced himself to make eye contact. _

"_Wh-What did you need help with? Geometry again?" _

"_What did you need help with? Geometry again?" Robin mimed, mocking Matthew's timid mannerisms. She leaned forward in her chair and fixed Matthew with a stiff glare. "You're still actin' like I give a fuck."_

"_Well… why else would you be here?"_

"_Don't get the wrong idea." Robin ran her fingers through her hair and cast a disdainful look around the library as if every second spent inside it was a waste of time, as if she were above it all. "Schrodinger said I had to get your signature and that's _all _I came here for. I ain't wastin' any more time in here than I need to." _

"_But what about your tests?" Matthew pressed. "Schrodinger said—" _

"_I don't care what he said." Robin waved. "I _do _care about getting' this paper filled out though, ideally without resortin' to… well…" She cracked her knuckles and offered an unapologetically sinister smile. "The usual." _

"_The usual?" Matthew wondered. _

"_Lemme' put it this way." Robin pulled out a red pen from her backpack and held it between her two index fingers. "The red you'll be usin' to sign the paper won't be from this."_

"_Y-You wouldn't…" Matthew could feel his throat becoming dry. "I'd… I'd…" _

"_I got a swell idea." Robin said as she began spinning the pen around her fingers. "Why don't we go do somethin' fun like play some baseball or rob a bank? Sounds way more fun than this shit, hm? What do you say, kid? You down?" _

_The horror on Matthew's face was palpable. _

"_You're really gullible, huh? Gimme' that." She snatched her backpack off of the table and withdrew a crumpled piece of yellow paper that Matthew recognized as the hours sheet that he needed to sign and Robin needed to complete in order to make up for all of the assignments she hadn't been doing in class. She smoothed out the wrinkled creases and tossed the paper towards Matthew. "C'mon, hurry your ass up and sign it before that numbskull shows up—" _

"—_Did you mean this numbskull, Tesla?" _

_Robin drew her shoulders close to her body, cringing as she heard his deep, rumbling voice. She slowly turned her head up and around to meet the friendly gaze of the gentle giant, Seth, who was looking down at her disapprovingly like she were some misbehaving child. Size-wise, comparatively, that couldn't have hit home any harder. _

"_Are you stalkin' me or somethin'?" _

"_Nope." Seth said, shaking his head. He walked around the table and clapped his hand on Matthew's shoulder, the latter of whom instinctively flinched away from the other's touch. "I was just planning on getting some studying done with my pal, Matt here. You should join us. You know what they say, three's a company!" _

"_Wanna' know what else they say? School's an outdated institution. To hell with this, I'm outta' here." Robin stood up from her chair and stomped away from the two of them, more than fully aware of the fact that she would be held back a grade if she did not pass Geometry. She knew that she was being stupid and irrational but she hated this whole situation and the sooner she was done with it, the better. Before she could get out of earshot, Seth's booming voice called to her from across the library. She was torn between gratitude and rage. Her pride forced her into the latter. _

"_You forget something?"He was holding up her yellow hours sheet which she had forgotten back at the table. _

_Robin stopped walking and clenched her fists. _

I swear to God. _She thought, seething with anger. _I'll hit the bastard. He's got it comin'. He's practically beggin' for it. _Robin whirled around and stared Seth down beneath slanted eyebrows. _

"_Yeah? And what're you gonna' do about it?" _

_Seth laced his fingers behind his head, leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, his face intense and concentrated. Then he shrugged and set his chair down. "Nothing. Failure is a personal choice. If you're okay with making that kind of choice, then I hope you're prepared to face the consequences. Not that it seems like you care about that kind of thing. But… you deserve a heads-up, at the very least." He offered her the yellow paper and sighed. "Here you go." _

_She made her way over to the table and pinched the paper out of Seth's fingers, ignoring the dull hope in her stomach that he would resist and say something to make her stay. Something. Anything. The paper came looser and freer by the millisecond and, gradually, she realized that his lips were sealed. She buried the disappointment in her throat and clutched the paper in her hand before an unexpected third party called her attention. _

"_I-I'm still willing to help y-you." _

_Trembling, but resolute, Matthew's Geometry textbook was already out on the table. Robin could feel a smile tickling the edge of her lips but she bit her tongue back when she noticed Seth watching her face carefully. This was one big stupid gamble by him and he had just struck gold. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He was an annoying, goody two-shoes. _

"_You're gonna' tutor me? You?" Robin asked in disbelief. "Think you can handle me? Y'know, last Friday didn't go so hot. What makes ya' think today's gonna' be any better?" _

"_You need to pass Geometry." Matthew answered, sounding somewhat more confident. "Mr. Schrodinger told me. You'll fail if I don't help you." _

_As much as his claim ticked her off, he was right. _

"…_Fine, fuck it, whatever." Robin pulled back her chair and sat back down. "Lead the way… whatever your name is." _

"_It's M-Matthew." _

"_M-Matthew." Robin mimicked, rolling her eyes. "We're gonna' have to do somethin' about that stutter 'a yours." She jabbed a thumb at herself. "Robin. You already knew that, but just for formality's sake." She turned a hostile eye to Seth, reached over, and flicked his forehead with her thumb and middle finger. "And you can buzz off. I'm bein' a good girl now, see? Nothin' to worry about. I'll play nice." _

_Seth simply laughed. "Didn't I tell you I came here to study with Matt?" _

"_Yeah, you did! And this is me tellin' you to scram."_

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Middle District – Glasswater Park | 11:09 PM ]**

"Princess ain't comin' or what?"

Robin wearily scanned the park and shivered. Winter was just around the corner and the cold air of the night was biting. She wore her usual, slightly-too-long hooded jacket but there was also a scarf wrapped snugly around her neck. A gust of wind blew through the park she, Matthew, and Noah were standing in, drawing out a venomous swear from her lips as she tucked her shabby bat underneath her armpit, her hands vigorously rubbing together in a fruitless gamble to warm herself up.

"She pulled me aside before we split up." Noah said. "So no, she isn't."

On one hand, Noah rather expected Lucia to drop out of her first chance at fighting Shadows with her Persona. His recent encounters with her—however brief they might have been—were telling as to the likelihood of that happening. It wasn't as if he hadn't tried to convince her otherwise. After all, simply letting her walk away would have been unfair not only to Matthew and Robin but to Seth as well. To a lesser degree, he thought it somewhat of an injustice to himself as well.

But he told her with his own mouth that she was free to make whatever decision she wanted and that he would guarantee no judgment from Matthew or Robin.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Matthew chattered. Bizarrely, he had arrived with nothing but a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt to his name, citing his inevitable fatigue in combat as an excuse for the somewhat light equipment. He also insisted on bringing along his inconveniently heavy broadsword from their last foray into a labyrinth. "I mean," He continued, "That's okay. If she wants to. Shouldn't force her, you know? I'm all for freedom of choice. But, I mean, er… we could always use the help."

"It's dark as fuck and I can still see you turnin' red." Robin chuckled, puffs of white blooming from her nostrils. She wiped her dripping nose, snorting loudly. "Lover boy's gotta' point though. The more the merrier, Noah. Couldn't hurt if she tagged along."

"I told her that." Noah shrugged helplessly. "Answer was still no. If she's scared, she's not going to be of much use in there. You know, Robin, I'm beginning to doubt if you can come with us too. You're starting to catch a cold. Look at how red her nose is, Matthew. You look like a goblin."

"Don't change the subject!" Robin protested angrily. Her face scrunched up and a few moments later she sneezed, the redness of her nose becoming more prominent in the process. "And what, you think you two can handle it alone? You're a riot!"

"Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer…" Noah sang.

The subsequent laughter that erupted from Matthew's mouth sounded less like laughter and more like competitive walrus impersonation, but it mattered little in the face of Robin's growing temper. She made to kick him squarely in the shin but Matthew deftly side-stepped away from her assault, losing his footing in the process and crashing unceremoniously to the ground with a shrill cry. Robin took the opportunity to point at Matthew and laugh contemptuously.

"Haha! Karma's a bitch, ain't she?"

"Alright, alright." Noah raised a hand. "That's enough."He brought his wrist up and looked at the time. 11:09.

There was still enough time to take a quick visit to the Velvet Room.

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | The Velvet Room | Unknown ]**

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

It'd felt like ages, but realistically it'd only been a few weeks. It felt odd for Noah to say this, but he actually kind of missed Igor, bloodshot eyes and hooked nose included. Faith was decent enough company, sure, but Noah could only tolerate her ever-frosty demeanor for so long. Igor's carefree disposition and enigmatic teachings were a welcome reprieve. Noah settled into the chair and placed the crumpled five-dollar bill onto the table, sliding it into Faith's direction.

"Another pack then, is it?" Faith's mouth twitched—a smile, perhaps?—but she kept her attitude in check and placed the booster pack box onto the table. She hummed a quiet tune to herself as her hand gently slid along the top of the silver packages.

Igor's eyes were on Noah. They always were, but there was something off about his expression today. Noah squirmed in his chair and returned Igor's penetrating gaze with a weak-willed look of his own. "Igor… what's wrong?"

Igor laughed his unnatural laugh, like he was doing it to be polite or something. "Go on. Do what you came here to do."

Faith slid over another package which looked identical to the first one he'd opened. Noah accepted it gratefully and opened the top, dumping the contents into his hands. He spread his newly obtained cards onto the table and examined them, eyes on the lookout for anything he hadn't seen before.

Angel, Saki Mitama, Medicine, Soul Drop, Bead. Four new cards and one that he'd already seen.

The angel on the card he'd obtained looked like no angel he'd ever seen. Completely nude and wrapped from head to toe in black, leather bondages, the Persona on the card had more in common with an actor from some sleazy BDSM-flick rather than a messenger sent from above. So egregious was the image that the Saki Mitama on the other card looked like someone's bad idea of a joke. It looked like someone had taken a drop of oil and stuck a pair of googly eyes for comical effect.

_Angel… Justice Arcana. Garu, Patra, and Hama. Saki Mitama… Priestess. Dia, Bufu, Sukunda. _

He shuffled them into his deck as well as the other cards he'd received. He could look at them later. There were more pressing matters at hand and the more time he wasted in the Velvet Room, so too did the likelihood of Seth's Shadow killing him.

"Thanks Igor, Faith. Wish me luck."

With a confident nod, Noah stood up from his chair and vanished through the Velvet Room door.

Faith replaced the cover on her booster pack box and moved it back underneath the table. Her gaze lingered to the empty spot where Noah had been sitting just a few moments ago. Wordlessly, Faith touched the hardbound leather compendium sitting in her lap. She pried the book open and turned to a particular page that glowered with activity. Her eyes wandered down the list of names and numbers and pictures, a small lump of air forming at the bottom of her throat. Against her own will, she was starting to worry. She didn't the first time, she didn't the second time, but on this night, she felt apprehension for him, for the Wild Card.

His face was becoming tangible, something familiar. Usually annoying and a bother but there were flashes where his presence in the Velvet Room provided a sort of odd comfort that she was beginning to find pleasing. Faith often wondered if her siblings felt similarly, or what Igor himself felt. She told herself that the relationship would be strictly professional and by all accounts she had kept to that code and as far as she could tell there would be no reason to deviate from that creed. He would not be there forever, and neither would she. To pursue anything other than that would be foolish and idiotic.

As it had been with the first boy and the second girl, one of the names in the book pulsed a deep and disturbing shade of blood red. In time, the name would revert into a much more pleasant shade of cool azure, denoting a successful rescue.

The first night he had gone into the Shadow realm, she never even bothered so much as to open the book. She expected incompetence and failure of the highest degree if his feeble resolve and soft-hearted character were anything to go by. But against all odds, he succeeded. The second night, she snuck a quick look every now and again, wondering if the name would stay red forever. Once again, he found victory even in the face of death.

On this night, in spite of herself, the book was already open.

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Upper District – The Kennedy Residence | 11:45 PM ]**

It was dark, cold, and quiet inside of the Kennedy residence. The rest of Lucia's family was fast asleep in the comfort of their own beds. A low growl of maids and butlers stirred in the hallways of the vast mansion but other than that, all was silent. The time on the analog clock above her doorway read a quarter to twelve. Precisely fifteen minutes before twelve 'o clock. Fifteen minutes before Noah, Robin, and Matthew plunged headfirst into the unforgiving atmosphere of the Shadow realm. Soft, butter-yellow light spilled out beneath the foot of Lucia's door; Amber made it a habit of keeping the lights on in the hallway outside of Lucia's bedroom.

Lucia Kennedy sat on the edge of her mattress, her eyes locked onto her reflection in her cupboard's mirror. Her steely blue eyes were hard and accusatory. She looked down at her white-knuckled hands and loosened her iron-tight grip on the sheets of her bed.

There was a soft knock at her door.

"Ms.?" It was Amber, unmistakably. "Ms., your light is still on. Are you not asleep yet?"

Lucia opened her mouth, thought better of it, and bit down on her lip. Excuses were no trouble at all to come up with. But Amber was different. She loved Amber, which was not to say that she did not love her parents, but she loved Amber in a way that made her resent herself whenever she lied to her. Of all of the servants working in the Kennedy household, Amber was perhaps the only one who gave a thought to how Lucia felt being locked up in the house all the time.

The door opened, as Lucia figured it would. Normally the door was locked but knowing what was about to transpire tonight and knowing that she would not be helping them when she could have made her forget about a lot of things. Amber peeked her head around the door and smiled at Lucia.

She was a proper woman in her early thirty's. Her face looked slightly older though; an unavoidable compromise in her line of work. But the brightness in her ironically dark eyes made her seem much younger than she actually was. Her dark hair was tied into a braid that stopped at the small of her back. Always smiling and always patient, Amber carried herself with equal doses of grace and professionalism and it was those exact qualities that got her promoted to head maid status over the years working for the Kennedy's.

"What are you still doing up hun?" Amber whispered, opening the door and making her way over to the empty spot next to Lucia. Her diction was refined, but every so often her Southern roots sprung up in her speech. "You're not thinking of sneaking out tonight, are you…?"

"No." Lucia said after a time. "Earlier, perhaps, but now…"

"Ms., are you alright?"

_Refreshingly straight to the point. _Lucia thought. She smiled. _As always. _

Amber reached over and ran her fingers through Lucia's hair, drawing the troubled girl's gaze. "You haven't been yourself these past few days and I'm starting to worry." She smiled and then said, "Even Arthur's getting paranoid… and you _know _how he gets when he's paranoid."

Lucia rolled her eyes and couldn't help but smile herself, though hers was slightly more mean-spirited. "When is Arthur ever _not _paranoid?"

"You've got the devil in you!" Amber laughed. She tilted her head and gave Lucia a worried look. "Though I can hardly blame the man when he has to look after someone like you. What's wrong, dear? Arthur thinks you're about to throw yourself out your window and I've half a mind to believe he's right looking at how droopy your face is."

She could never do it. No matter how much respect she had for Amber and vice versa, she could never tell her about her Persona, about the Shadow world, about any of it.

So she didn't. After all, what good would it possibly do her if she did?

The rest of the time spent with Amber that night was spent on mindless chatter, something she was becoming rapidly accustomed to after spending prolonged amounts of time with Robin. If nothing else, it was enough to convince Amber that she was fine.

As the door to her room closed shut, a bright light exploded outside of her window. Lucia whirled around and stared into the abyss, mouth open in shock as a pillar of light off in the distance slowly descended from the heavens. The sight was incredible to behold and although a part of her knew the terrifying implications of what was happening outside, she found it impossible not to appreciate the eerie wonder the light provided. Soon enough, the pillar of light disappeared and the crushing darkness of the night returned like an unwelcome pest.

_So it wasn't a lie after all. _Lucia thought bitterly.

The clock read 12:00.

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Lower District – Seth's Apartment | 12:00 AM ]**

"Dude." Matthew said, nervous. "I don't work out. PE is all I do, man. And I can barely even do _that. _This is, like, Stairmaster Infinity +1. I think I'm gonna' die up there."

The pillar of light had gone from Seth's apartment block. What remained there in the dead of night was an impossibly tall tower composed of chiseled brick and mortar that stretched far into the reaches of space with seemingly no end. There were small, inset windows scattered randomly about the face of the tower, totally different from the neatly organized rows from Lucia's prison. There was nothing suggesting any kind of internal order or structure. There was a large, wooden door at the base of the tower with handles that were forged from cold steel and crafted to resemble the heads of dragons.

Thick, massive vines spurting from the Earth wrapped around the base of the tower and continued further up, becoming thinner and thinner as they licked the stratosphere. At what looked to be the top of the tower there glowed a dull halo of light. Presumably, that was their destination. The question was whether they had the strength, the will to reach it. Matthew looked defeated already and even Robin seemed distressed. Noah craned his neck up towards the sky.

"Are you guys ready for this?"

"You know I'm down 'n all, but… man, that's a big fuckin' tower." Robin said.

"Stairmaster Infinity." Matthew squeaked. "I'm going to have a heart attack, I swear to God. I can feel one coming on already…"

"We'll be fine." Noah encouraged. "It can't be as bad as it looks. At least, I hope not."

"It'd just suck if one of us got hurt." Matthew said. "And I hate to bring this up again, but Lucia isn't with us. We're down a member. I guess I'm okay with her staying at home but that means we need to be extra careful."

"We got this, Matt!" Robin chirped. "Princess would probably slow us down anyway. She don't look much like a brawler."

"_I _don't either." Matthew sighed dejectedly.

Robin chuckled and flexed an arm. "Them's the brakes, bud!" She then made a big show out of kissing whatever muscle she imagined on her arm. "We can't all be built like Olympians, can we?"

"We can't all be delusional like you either." Matthew grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Little louder!" Robin stuck an ear out and mimicked scrubbing wax out with a cotton swab. "Can't hear you over the sound of my bulgin' biceps!"

Letting their inane chatter fall to the wayside, Noah quietly looked at his cell phone and considered for the hundredth time that night calling Lucia. He didn't want to admit it, but his big spiel to her during their dinner about making her own choice had a manipulative, hidden agenda. A large part of Noah hoped Lucia would accompany them on her own accord. He acknowledged to himself that it didn't need to be this complicated. Asking her to come with them probably would have ended with success.

But Noah wanted her resolve. Pure and unshaken. Matthew and Robin had already proved themselves twice over. There was no questioning their courage. Lucia, on the other hand, had not. And his subtle, invitational 'guilt-trip' was meant to test the existence of her resolve. In the back of his mind he had already considered the possibility of her opting out of the labyrinth but he didn't think that it would happen and, indeed, now that that reality had come to pass he was at a crossroads.

Her number stared him in the face, daring him to give in to temptation.

_Damn it all. _

He pocketed his cell phone and looked up at the tower, stone-faced. There was no way he could force her to go against her will. If she didn't want to throw her hat in the ring then more power to her. She was probably better off for it.

That was his justification. He ignored the part of his brain screaming at him to turn back, but it was too late. The better part of his mind had made the decision.

"We're going inside. Let's go."

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Seth's Labyrinth – Ground Floor | 12:00 AM ]**

It was dark inside. The only sources of light were torches lining the wall. There was a large, circular area in front of them bordered by a staircase that climbed the height of the tower. Ratty carpets were scattered across the floor and there were musty, moldy bookshelves propped up against the wall. Next to the indiscernible books stuffing the shelves were vials and flasks containing mysterious, unknown liquids. In the center of the floor sat a lone desk with torn scraps of paper strewn across the surface.

There were long, rake-like indents carved into the wood, inset with dark red. As if someone had deliberately scraped their fingers until they drew blood. A thick tome sat at the top of the desk, tightly bound with a rusty lock. One candle inside a small, golden dish still burned bright and young. It looked as if someone had recently vacated the area.

"The hell is this s'posed to be, Merlin's Castle?"

"Whatever it is," Noah warned, "Stay on your guard at all times. Shadows could strike at any time… here." He walked over to one of the braziers posted on the side of the wall and took the torch sticking out of it. "We'll use this for light. I don't want to waste Matt's Agi spells."

"That means one person's always going to be out of commission in a fight." Matthew observed. "Or, handicapped anyway."

"Only takes one hand to summon a Persona." Noah said, holding out his hand and willing his tarot card to appear. "I just can't move around much. We'll switch off if we need to. We can do this, guys. We just need to stay close. We can't lose."

"I'm likin' the sound of that." Robin smiled. "Skadi! Little help, here!"

Her Persona materialized and when it had formed beside her, a familiar ring of orange light encapsulated Matthew's body. He gave her a thumbs up after testing the weight of his ridiculous broadsword, hefting it over his shoulder and starting towards the staircase. Robin followed in his footsteps, but Noah could not help casting a fleeting glance at the desk in the center of the circular first floor. The set-up was innocent enough. His only

"Noah!" Matthew called from somewhere further up the stairs. "Hurry up! We need you! It's getting dark up here…"

Noah wrestled his eyes away from the tome and quickly made his way up the stairs after them. He pushed the group up the stairs once he was caught up and they pressed carefully onwards, taking each step up the stairs with the utmost caution. Noah pushed past Robin and Matthew, taking the lead so they could see as far up the tower as the torch in his hands allowed. Their trek up the tower continued for a fair amount of time. The lights at the bottom of the tower eventually grew smaller and smaller. Noah forced himself to avoid looking down at the gaping chasm yawning at them from below. One small misstep and he—or all of them for that matter—would fall a very long ways down.

Discouragingly, no one felt at liberty to lighten the mood.

"Hey, Robin." Noah looked over his shoulder at her and she perked up hearing the sound of her name. "Care to light the way?"

"Huh? But you're the one—" Confusion gave way to realization once she remembered Noah's mockery of her earlier and her features twisted into blatant rage. Not even the light of Noah's torch could diminish the redness of her skin. "Oh _ha-ha_, I didn't know you were a comedian." As if on cue, Robin sneezed, a small glob of mucus landing squarely on Matthew's back.

"Ugh! What the hell, Rob!?" He turned his back towards the wall and proceeded to violently scrub up and down.

"Noah jinxed it. See what you do, Noah? You ruin _everything._"

Noah laughed. It was just enough for him not to notice the ladder in front of him which he crashed into face first. He looked at the thing in confusion and raised the torch high above his head, following the light as it illuminated a wooden trapdoor opening at the top of the ladder. Noah grasped one of the ladder rungs in his hand, testing it for its durability. When he was confident it could hold his weight, he nodded back at Matthew and Robin.

"I think it's safe, but just to be sure, we're going up one at a time. Be careful." With that, Noah began his ascent, gripping the rungs tightly between his fingers one by one. His torch was secured through his belt. He climbed and climbed until he reached the trapdoor at the top. Once he was there, he grasped the metal handle and pushed it open, removing the torch from his person and lifting it up along with him into the new area.

_What on earth? _Noah looked around in confusion. He found himself in the middle of a four-way split. Each of the four paths ran on into pitch-black darkness. _This looks way too big from how the tower looked on the outside. This… this shouldn't be here. _He was disturbed, but this was the Shadow realm. It didn't follow any rules. For the time being, Noah ignored the tightening knot in his stomach and hoisted himself up the rest of the way, standing up in the hallway and looking down the ladder. He opened his mouth to call them up.

Before he could get a word out, the trapdoor slammed shut.

…_What? _His mind blanked for a second. Then he realized what had happened and he went into overdrive. His heart thundred in his chest and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Desperately, Noah brought himself to his knees and grabbed the handle of the trapdoor, pulling with all of his might. His torch dropped to the ground and rolled to the side, casting an eerie, unwelcome glow to the hallway that made his skin crawl.

He was reminded of his first foray into the Shadow labyrinth at Matthew's home. How alone he had felt, how crushing the darkness was, how _wrong _everything went. Noah stood up, his chest heaving, and raised his hand out.

"Persona!" Noah screamed.

Odin appeared at his side and stabbed Gungnir into the planks of the trapdoor. The wood did not give. Again and again Noah commanded Odin to attack the door but nothing of note happened. His Persona's weapon rebounded every single time, a fact that—coupled with his rising panic—tired Noah out much quicker than what was acceptable. Instinct overtook rationality and he spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get the trapdoor open, but in the end, his efforts proved completely and utterly useless. He threw his head to the ground and pressed his ear against the wood, listening for their voices, but none came through.

With a small cry, he fell onto his haunches and began gasping for air. He realized how dark the hallways were, how alone and vulnerable he was. Little noises off in the distance made his head twitch. Noah drew his knees up to his chest and for the first time in a long time felt truly helpless. Having Matthew and Robin at his back both in the real world and the Shadow realm for so long had spoiled him. Noah had relied on their presence, fed off of their energy in order to fuel his confidence. A leader Noah acted but a leader Noah was not. He knew that very well yet still he took up the mantle and now he felt as if he were paying the price.

In a frantic gamble for something, anything to quell his haywire nerves, Noah called out into the dark. "Matthew? Robin? Can you hear me? Can any of you hear me?"

Silence.

"Please!" Noah choked. "Answer me! Please!"

For the second time, silence.

Noah stood upright and violently lodged his hands into his pockets, searching. He wrenched his hand out of his pocket and the cards inside went flying all over the ground. Flinging himself after them, Noah scrambled on hands and knees. He found the card he was looking for near the wall and picked it up, relief washing over him.

Goho-M. This card would grant him freedom. He could leave and never return.

_To hell with Seth. To hell with Shadows. To hell with all of it. _Noah was seconds away from crushing the card. He was so close. His fingers tightened around the edges and little blue cracks cobwebbed on the surface.

He stopped. Noah stopped. He bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood and strained his eyes. With a great cry, Noah hurled the card at the wall and jammed his hands across his head. The torch still burned to the side. His cards were scattered across the ground. His psyche was in total disarray. Yet still, he fought. Weak-hearted as he was, Noah struggled to overcome his weaknesses. He coached himself mentally, stringing together words and sentences that repeated and repeated until they were burned into his brain.

_No, no, no. You can't. You can't abandon Seth. You can't. You can't. That's not fair. Not fair. Not fair. This is something only you can do. You have to try. You have to try. Try. Try, Noah. Try! Try! __**Try!**_

A familiar fire burned in his chest.

_You can do this. You've been through this already. You've done this three fucking times. What's one more going to hurt? There's gotta' be a way to meet up with them. It's not over. You'll get through this, just like before. So many people are counting on you, why are you wasting time feeling sorry for yourself? Get off your ass and go! _

Noah took a deep breath and collected his thoughts. When he was sufficiently calm—or at least calm enough not to suffer from something remarkably close to hyperventilation—he stooped to the ground and gathered up his cards and his torch. He broke into a run down a randomly chosen pathway and hoped for the best. Given the circumstances, that was all he could do.

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Seth's Labyrinth – Ground Floor | 12:00 AM ]**

"Noah!"

Matthew slammed his fists into the trapdoor again and again until his knuckles ran red with blood. Sweat began to pool beneath his fingertips, causing his grip on the ladder to become loose and unstable. He crammed his body up against the trapdoor and stuck his ear against the wood, straining to hear Noah. No sounds, no movements, no nothing. Matthew cursed beneath his breath and was two beats away from shouting, 'Persona!' before he heard Robin call to him from down below.

"Matt! Yo, Matt!" Her voice sounded unusually anxious. "You better get off that ladder quick! We got company!"

He looked over his shoulder and threw his gaze down to the ground floor of the tower and when he did, his mouth parted in shock.

A teeming mass of Shadows blanketed every square inch of the cobblestoned floor. Red eyes leered up at them and if Matthew paid close attention, he could count the individual, razor-sharp teeth on some of their open mouths. Once they knew that Matthew and Robin were aware of their presence, they began rushing up the staircase at a speed which brought out an incredibly unmanly squeal from Matthew. In a state of panic, he began his descent down the ladder by gripping the sides and sliding down, nearly crashing into Robin as he hit the bottom.

"Ain't nowhere else to go." Robin whispered, handing Matthew his broadsword. "I dunno' where they came from but if we don't sack up we're never gonna' find out."

"How strong are they?"

Robin held her hand out and quickly blurted, "Persona!" Skadi appeared over her shoulder wielding an incredible bow composed of rich mahogany and decorated with a colorful arrangement of ornaments and trinkets. Hard shells and hanging stones clapped against each other as Skadi drew her drawstring back and pointed an arrow at the approaching swam of Shadows. A brilliant golden cone of light extended from the tip of the arrow, bathing the Shadows in an oversaturated yellow glow that revealed rows upon rows of gnashing teeth and outstretched claws.

"Cannon fodder." Robin grunted. "But there's a shitload of 'em."

The swarm was almost upon them. Matthew took position in front of Robin and readied his sword in front of him. He could see them against the light of the torches. Hundreds of them squished against each other like a crowd of angry devils screaming curses and hurling obscenities.

Matthew flung himself into the Shadows, sword first.

"Persona!"

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Seth's Labyrinth – Upper Levels | 12:00 AM ]**

It was becoming routine, Noah felt. Running through dark hallways and trying to find a staircase. Occasional scrap with a shadow or two. He didn't know how to keep track of the floors here. Nothing made sense. Sometimes he would find a flight of staircases and he would proceed upwards as usual but at other times there would be staircases leading down. He knew he wasn't going in circles and he double-checked these floors to make sure he wasn't going crazy.

If anything was certain, it was that this was no tower. It might have looked that way on the outside, but the innards of the labyrinth told another story entirely.

Noah stopped when he turned a corner. It was a medium stretch of hallway that ran into a dead end, but there was a foreign object set against the wall that demanded his attention. He stepped closer, trying to get a better look at the object by moving his torch closer to it. Through his encounters through these labyrinths he had never quite seen anything like this.

One lone chest.

Noah walked up to it with slow, easy steps. There was nothing particularly offensive or strange about it. It looked like a regular old treasure chest he'd seen in swashbuckling pirate movies or fantasy adventure romps. Noah's curiosity got the better of him as he took hold of the chest with his hands and opened the lid.

An explosive black aura erupted from the crack and blew him back several feet. He landed on his back hard but he didn't let himself stay vulnerable for long. Noah scrambled to his feet and saw it. A massive, looming creature garbed in torn, bloody black robes wielding an incredible scythe in one hand and—oddly enough—a long, double-barreled shotgun in the other. There were chains criss-crossed around its torso, but they hovered rather than hanged. It had a hood pulled over whatever head it possessed, masking its features, but Noah could make out a lone, glowing yellow eye glaring at him spitefully from beneath.

It was a Reaper. There were no other names for it.

Before Noah had a chance to even think, the Reaper brought its scythe around its body in a long, exaggerated arc that carved tremendous scars into the walls surrounding them. Noah attempted to maneuver his body out of the way of the attack but ended up tripping over his own feet and falling flat onto his back. The Reaper wasted no time in raising its weapon high overhead, bringing it down with a sharp downward thrust. It stabbed deep into the floor as Noah nimbly threw himself backwards, watching in terror as the tip of the weapon sunk into the very spot his head had been just a few seconds ago.

The powerful demon deftly maneuvered itself into a new position, confusing Noah and inciting hesitation. Rather than remove its weapon from the gash in the ground it had created, the Reaper began spinning its scythe in a windmill-like arc against the surface of the floor. Faster and faster did the steel of its weapon slice against stone, each and every rotation sending a powerful, bullet-like stream of chipped rocks and rubble towards Noah.

_It's relentless! _

"Persona!"

Odin materialized before Noah and intercepted the brunt of the Reaper's attack. Noah possessed the mistaken belief that using his Persona as a shield would relieve his physical form of any attacks, but he quickly discovered the hard way how wrong that was. He yelled out in pain and held out his arms, watching as small cuts and scrapes eerily similar to the ones on Odin's arms peppered the length of his own appendages. He had to go on the offensive.

"Odin! Zionga!"

A burst of powerful lightning lit up the length of the hallway, erupting from Odin's hand and penetrating the Reaper's chest. The attack blew back the Reaper several feet. Noah did not give it time to rest. He held his hand out once again and commanded, "Odin, again!" His eyes burned with energy and he could feel the power radiating from his hand as another arc of velvet blue slammed into the Reaper, blowing it back even further. "Again!"

Noah's counterattack continued until he was gasping for a third lung. A cloud of smoke hung around the Reaper's still form which slumped on the ground unmoving. Noah set his hands on his knees and swallowed, trying to moisturize his dried throat. He looked up, trying to spot movement, trying to see if he had actually managed to fell this powerful foe.

The Reaper's double-barreled shotgun lifted, stirring the smoke.

"Oh, shit."

The discharge from the Reaper's long-range weapon sent Noah flying, the entirety of his body crashing unceremoniously through a wall. He felt as if every bone is his body was breaking simultaneously and he was amazed that he was still conscious. When he hit the ground, he had to fight not to let the black spots in his vision take him adrift into sleep.

He could hear the chains of the Reaper approaching in the background. Noah looked up through the hole in the wall and propped himself up on his elbows, grunting as pain shot from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet.

The glow of the Reaper's eye rooted him to the spot and it was in that moment that he knew he was going to lose.

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Seth's Labyrinth – Ground Floor | 12:00 AM ]**

Matthew lost track of how many Shadows he'd slain since the fight began. Robin fought alongside him, but even he could tell that she was becoming visibly fatigued. Her movements were sloppy and loose and she was breathing almost as heavily as he was. His arms were getting store, even with the aid of Robin's Tarukaja to boost his strength. He felt lightheaded from commanding Balder to use Agi spells.

Their fight with the teeming mass of Shadows had brought them back to square one on the ground level but the waves of Shadows would not stop.

A Shadow took advantage of an opening and leapt forward, slicing Matthew clean across his back. The fabric of his shirt easily gave way. Blood poured from a large, fresh wound that caused him to fall to his knees and hold his head in pain.

"Fuck!" Robin jumped over Matthew's prone body and brought her bat down upon the Shadow, smashing it to a black, bloody pulp. "Matthew, get the hell up!"

"I can't…" Matthew groaned. "I… I'm…"

"I can't heal you Matt! Please! Damn it!" Robin bent down and threw Matthew's arm around her neck, allowing his head to rest in the crease of her neck. She backed up against the entrance and held her hand out. "Skadi, gimme' a hand!"

Skadi manifested itself in front of Robin, holding a dark hand out against the mass of Shadows closing in on Robin's position. Small pillars of ice exploded from the ground, knocking and exterminating Shadows in her immediate vicinity. Robin crushed her card repeatedly, over and over again, an endless barrage. "Bufu! Bufu! Bufu! Bufu! Bufu!" A set of pillars enclosed around Robin for a brief moment, forming a temporary shield against their enemies.

In moments, the ice gave way and the Shadows moved forward against them once again. Robin wiped the sweat from her eyes and choked down a sob. She looked up the staircase at the trapdoor in the vain hope that Noah would burst out and save them. Much to Robin's dismay, he did not appear. She bit her lip and looked at Matthew who was on the verge of passing out from fatigue.

_This is it. Last stand, Robin. _She set Matthew down against the wall and tousled his hair with a small, sad smile. _Proud of you, Matt. Sucks we're gonna' bite it here. _

She stood up and raised her bat.

Suddenly, the door behind her flew open with a blast of strong, forceful wind. Robin's hair flew in the gusts of air as she slowly turned around, but the voice reached her ears before she could see the person.

"In a spot of trouble, Ms. Tesla?"

Robin smiled.

Lucia Kennedy stepped through the entrance to Seth's labyrinth, the doors closing behind her as she did so. Even the Shadows seemed to have stopped attacking as Lucia quietly assessed the situation, examining Robin's sagging form and then Matthew lying pathetically against the wall. Her eyes widened a bit—no doubt she found Noah's absence troubling—but she knew better than to ask questions. Instead, pressed a hand on Robin's shoulder and aligned herself with the girl she had once called her enemy, her rival.

"Princess," Robin blurted out, "You—"

"I thought I made it clear," Lucia muttered, slowly extending her hand at the Shadows lurching towards them, "that I _hated _that nickname. You look terrible, by the way."

Robin laughed warmly. "Never change, Princess."

Even Lucia could not help cracking a smile. "Never." And then…

"Sif! Mamagna!" The card in her hand shattered into a million little blue pieces. Lucia's Persona appeared before her, her sword and shield already drawn. She raised her short sword towards the sky, the ground beneath them rumbling as the Shadows snapped out of the lull created by Lucia's grand entrance. Protrusions of rock erupted from the ground, smashing the Shadows together as if they were nothing but gobs of clay.

"We aren't done, Sif!" Lucia snarled, cutting her hand through the air as she crushed her card mid-slice. "Release your inhibitions! Rampage!"

Sif nodded gracefully and leapt into the crowd of Shadows, cutting her foes down to size with clean, broad strokes. Shadows screamed in agony left and right as Sif's blade tore through their ranks with ease, her weapon and her armor stained with the black blood of her fallen foes. Lucia felt her energy drain rapidly—she was aware that every command she gave her Persona came with a price—but she was prepared to do whatever it took to keep the Shadows at bay.

Robin stood behind Lucia, slack-jawed. She heard a rustle of movement behind her.

"Who…" Matthew groaned and looked up. "Is that…?"

"That's our Princess alright." Robin nodded.

"What about Noah?" Matthew looked up the staircase, up at the trapdoor.

"I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'!" Robin cursed, pressing a knuckle to her temple. She looked at Lucia holding down the line, still trying to get over the fact that the calm, collected, arrogant Lucia Kennedy was going toe-to-toe—and well, at that—with a legion of Shadows. Robin wracked her brain for an answer as Matthew struggled to his feet, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I think I've got an idea."

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Seth's Labyrinth – Upper Levels | 12:00 AM ]**

_Stairs, stairs, stairs! Where are the Goddamn stairs!? _Noah didn't know left from right anymore. All he knew was that he was never going to beat the Reaper and the sooner it stopped chasing him the better. He heard the clink of chains grow quieter and he felt a swell of relief in his chest as he looked over his shoulder.

His heart plummeted like a rock when he saw the Reaper aim its gun in his direction. Noah whirled around, his arm snapping to attention.

"Persona!" Noah roared. "Zionga—!"

The blast from the Reaper's weapon had left the barrel seconds before Noah finished commanding Odin to attack. Odin's surge of lightning collided with the Reaper's bullet in mid-air, creating a burst of explosive energy. Once again, Noah was sent crashing to the ground. His headed smacked against the floor, his teeth snapping together around his tongue. Noah spat out a wad of blood as the Reaper charged through the remains of the explosion, its scythe generating sparks as it slid against the ground straight towards his vulnerable form.

"Gah!" Noah yelped, his legs closing together instinctively. "Odin!"

Odin intercepted the Reaper's upward thrust just in time. Metal clashed against metal as Noah took the opportunity to create some distance between them again. He could hear fuzzy voices in his head and he could have sworn he was going crazy. The Reaper growled a raspy growl as he disappeared around a corner, smacking an open palm against his ear.

A voice suddenly reached out to him from across the darkness.

"_Noah! Can you hear me?_" The voice was grainy, but its owner was unmistakable. "_I feel like I'm goin' nuts here. Noooooooooooooooooah!?_"

"Robin! Matt!" Noah began frantically waving his arms like a neurotic schizophrenic. "I'm here!"

"_Yo Matt, this idea 'a yours ain't workin' too hot._" There was a pause, leaving Noah confused and wondering whether they saw him or even heard him. "_You wanna' try doin' this telepathy crap if you think you're such hot shit!?_"

Her voice reverberated in his skull like an echo. As he ran, he looked ahead and his eyes widened. Two things dawned on him. The first was that Robin and Matthew weren't anywhere near him—she was speaking to him through some sort of mental connection. The second was that the coveted staircase he'd been searching for ever since he began fleeing from the Reaper was straight ahead, just a few paces away from reach.

"_Robin!_" Noah spoke through his mind rather than through his mouth. "_I can hear you!_"

"_N-Noah_?" The disbelief in her voice was evidence enough that she heard him. "_Where the hell are you!?_"

"_That's my line!_"

Noah's foot touched base with the first step on the staircase. He threw a curious look over his shoulder and nearly jumped out of his skin as the Reaper bore down on him, its eye screaming at him from below the safety of its black hood. Noah rallied himself up the stairs without so much as whisper, and by the time he was on the second floor he didn't think he could run anymore.

"_Are you alright?_" Robin pressed. "_You got us worried somethin' awful, man._"

"_I think I'm alright…_" His words did not match his actions. Noah's legs gave out from under him and he tumbled gracelessly to the floor. He slowly turned his head, his face flushing white and his heart ready to leap out of his mouth as he counted down the seconds towards death. He waited there for what seemed like an eternity as he kept a vigilant watch for the slightest sign of the Reaper's hooded head.

If anyone was going to ask questions about the Reaper's bizarre disappearance, far be it for Noah to be one of them. He splayed himself out spread eagle on the rocky floor and let out a guttural yell he'd been keeping locked in his stomach.

"_Are you… really alright?_ _You don't sound like you're doing alright._"

_She can hear me?_

"_I'll tell you all about it later, I'm sure you'll love it._" Noah pulled himself up against the wall and withdrew one of his Medicine cards from his deck. He began applying its effects to himself as he continued, "_My question is how you're doing all of this._"

"_What, this?_" There was a short pause before Robin answered, "_Matt's idea. He said if I could check up on everyone's health and the Shadows then I probably had other talents lyin' dormant. Son of a bitch was right. Who'd a thought?_"

"_You know what'd be really nice? If you could—_"

"_Oh! Guess who showed up right as me and Matt were about to bite the dust?_"

Noah smiled, but gave Robin the satisfaction of willful ignorance anyway. "_Who?_"

"_Princess! She lit up those Shadows like she was born to do it! You missed out Noah, I ain't ever seen her lose her cool like that in my life. Huh? What's up?_" Robin's voice disappeared and when it returned she was laughing. "_Hahahaha! Princess' freakin' out the Shadow blood ain't gonna' wash off her dress. She's losin' it man, I'm dyin' over here!_"

"…_Robin._" Noah said, considerably more straight-laced. "_Where are you?_"

"_Us? We're stuck on the ground floor. That trapdoor ain't budgin'. We're gonna' look around and see if there's somethin' down here that we missed, what about you?_"

Noah sighed. The Reaper was stuck between him and the trapdoor, the only location he knew of where he could possibly rendezvous with the others. Sitting around waiting for them wasn't productive in the least.

The only choice he had was to keep moving forward. Every second he waited was a second Seth moved one step closer to death.

"_I'm going to forge on ahead._" Noah communicated determinedly."_Keep filling me in on your progress. If you guys find another route or you get that trapdoor open, let me open the second you do._"

"…_If you say so, leader._" Then she added, somewhat more gently, "_Watch your back, okay? If you think you've found Seth, you sit your ass down and wait the fuck up. If you get wasted doin' somethin' stupid I'll bring you back to life and kill you again myself._"

Noah laughed. "_Message received._"

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Seth's Labyrinth – Ground Floor | 12:00 AM ]**

"So if I understand this correctly, our objective is to continue examination of this level?" Lucia made no attempts at concealing her disapproval as she leered at the stuffed bookshelves. "What more could we possibly gain from going through these texts?"

"We ain't readin' the damn books, Princess." Robin walked up to one of the shelves and started pulling back random books by their spines. "Just checkin' for anythin' we missed the first time."

"And you plan to accomplish this… how, exactly?"

"I dunno'. I ain't the brains." She looked over at Matt who was sitting at the desk, fidgeting with the lock on the tome. "Yo, any ideas Matt? You're Mr. 4.0 GPA."

"H-Huh?" Matthew nervously avoided her gaze and flipped the book over as if it would make a difference in his fruitless investigation of its hidden contents. "I'm not the only one with a 4.0 GPA!" He insisted. "Lucia does too!"

The blonde gave Matthew a look torn halfway between keen interest and questioning caution. "Yes, that's correct," She began, "But I don't remember ever mentioning that to you."

"Wh-Huh? Really?" The sweat on his face was making Matthew look even paler than usual. "Hahaha, you don't say? M-Must've been a lucky guess!" When he looked up, Lucia was standing right in front of him, arms crossed and expression even crosser. Matthew tried to force his heart into cardiac arrest.

"I've been meaning to ask you this, Matthew, but do I frighten you?" She leaned forward and could have sworn seeing a bit of his soul trying to jump out of his body. "Because I really shouldn't."

Robin quietly snickered to herself by the bookshelves and watched Matthew dig himself deeper and deeper into an early grave, ignoring his eyes pleading to her for help.

"Y-Y-You? Scare m-me?" Matthew drew himself up in the chair and laughed an incredibly awkward laugh that made even Lucia back away from him. "D-Don't be silly!"

"It doesn't seem that way." Lucia muttered skeptically. "But if you insist, Marco."

_Marco? _Robin frowned. But when she looked at Lucia—who eyed Matthew expectantly—she understood her aim.

It was on the tip of his tongue. Robin could see it. Should he break out of his comfort zone and correct her or should he let things lie where they were and forever be known as Marco? To anyone else, this would be a ridiculous dichotomy of choice but to Matthew it was a struggle that required real, actual effort to surmount. His mouth would jitter open and then it would snap shut, over and over again until he couldn't take it anymore.

"It's Matthew." He corrected meekly.

"Matthew?" Lucia looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Are you positive it isn't Marco?"

"P-Positive."

"Well then, _Matthew_," She put emphasis on his name, making light of the situation in a way that made him flush red with embarrassment, "I apologize. If you think you're capable, perhaps we should assist Robin in her endeavors." With a pleasant smile, Lucia turned away and walked up to the bookshelves, selecting a book at random and inspecting its pages.

Matthew swallowed and studied the crammed bookshelf, glaring at Robin as she gave him a thumbs-up. There must have been hundreds upon hundreds of books shoved next to each other with no care as to their order or their relevancy. The titles—as far as he could tell—were gibberish and there was nothing suggesting the insides fared any better. Something was off about the shelves. He was missing something vital. Matthew leaned forward in his chair and squinted hard.

And then he saw it. A gap in the ranks. One lone space hidden in the shadows. Every square inch of the shelves was brimming with books except for one. Matthew lifted the tome off of the desk in front of him and walked over to the middle of the shelves between Robin and Lucia who watched him with curious eyes. He raised the tome to the unoccupied parting and slid it neatly into place. When it was inset, he stepped back and waited. For a little while, there was nothing indicating a change had occurred. Thinking his intuition had failed him Matthew reached up and made to reclaim the tome before a loud stirring behind the walls froze him in place.

Stones shifted. The shelves of the bookcase suddenly parted, splitting in half and rotating around the edge of the room before they stopped on either side of the trio, revealing a large, dark staircase descending further into the abyss.

Matthew smiled sheepishly. "…Ladies first?"

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Seth's Labyrinth – Final Floor | 12:00 AM ]**

Of all the things Noah prayed for, this was the very last.

Noah had ascended the rest of the floors with sparse communication with Robin and there was no mistaking the fact that he had reached the top. There were no other paths, no other routes, no other detours to make. The only thing left after going up the final flight of stairs was the looming double doors before him.

"_Robin?_" Noah prodded tentatively. "_Robin, I'm at the top. Where are you now?_"

He waited for a response that would never come. Wherever they were, whatever had happened to them, he was alone. That much, at least, was certain. To make matters worse, he could hear murmuring on the other side. He could _feel _Shadow Seth's aura licking at the soles of his feet from beneath the door and it set him on edge.

_What if it's too late by the time they get here? _Noah thought with mounting dread. _What if they never get here at all? _He slowly began wrapping his hands around the handles, almost as if a voice in the back of his head willed him to go against Robin's wishes.

And then, against all odds and his better judgment, Noah pushed open the doors and walked into the lair of Shadow Seth.

Whether or not it was he himself doing this was irrelevant. The act had been done. And he was going to have to suffer the consequences.

Alone.

"**Noah,**" Shadow Seth grinned, rising from a fireplace with his arms spread. Noah could see a rod of iron in his hand, the tip of the metal rod glowing from the heat of the stoked flames. "**So glad you could make it. And you were even gracious enough to leave your 'things' at the door.**" His grin stretched even wider as the doors slammed shut. "**Perfect.**" A click of finality from behind sealed all of the occupants in the room. No one would be getting in or out until a victor was decided.

The room was mostly empty. Its shape was like a large dome, not unlike an oversized igloo. At the very top in the middle of the ceiling there was a hole that looked up into the stars. Next to Shadow Seth there burned a crackling fireplace and two, wooden chairs adjacent to it. Noah spotted a figure still seated in one of the chairs as Shadow Seth approached.

"**Have you been enjoying yourself?**" Shadow Seth asked, bouncing the rod between his hands. "**Because I know I have.**"

Noah kept quiet as he ignored Shadow Seth's invitational taunting, his eyes glued to the immobile young man slumped in front of the fireplace.

"Seth?" Noah called. He pulled his deck from his pocket and spread the cards out within his hand, eyeing the Angel card at the top. "Seth, I'm here."

Seth's head turned slightly. The look in his eyes was vacant and empty, which Noah had expected.

"Noah…?" Seth's voice was hoarse with fatigue. He raised a hand to his head and groaned. "That can't be you… just another hallucination…"

"It's not. This is real." Noah proclaimed loudly. "We're going to get you out of here Seth. Just sit tight."

" '**We'?**" Shadow Seth interred, tilting his head and frowning. He laid a flat palm across his eyebrows and scanned the dome before letting it fall to his side. He shrugged, grinned wickedly, and said, "**Um, Noah? In case you haven't noticed, allow me to illuminate the fact that you are **_**alone **_**here. No one to back you up. No one to save you. No one to take a blow for you. It's just you, me, and me.**"

"They'll find a way." Noah said defiantly. "I have faith."

"**Faith will get you **_**nowhere **_**here!**" Shadow Seth shrieked, his tone laced thick with hatred. Even he seemed to realize the oddity of his outburst as he dialed back his anger and continued in a much calmer voice, "**But I'm sure you'll realize that for yourself in a minute.**"

Seth turned around in his chair as a shred of life returned to his eyes. "This… isn't a hallucination?" He rubbed his eyes and, with a bit of difficulty, stood up from the chair. "You're actually here? I'm not…" His voice cracked with relief when he finished, "Not ODing?"

Before Noah could get quell Seth's nerves or ask what ODing was, Shadow Seth whirled around to face his true self. "**That's what I've been trying to tell you!**" It said with delight. "**Does this mean you're ready to listen to me now?**"

"Huh?" Seth stepped back groggily and steadied himself against the railing above the fireplace. "Wait, what are you—"

"**Ready to confront all of your nasty secrets? Ready to face all of your deepest, darkest fears?**" Shadow Seth advanced on Seth's position, dragging the metal rod along the ground. "**Ready to admit that you're me, and I'm you?**"

"Maybe this is a hallucination." Seth murmured, holding his head in his hands.

"**But it's NOT!**" Shadow Seth roared, waves of hot red aura practically seeping from his pores. "**And the sooner you stop lying to yourself and everyone around you, the better.**" Shadow Seth raised his foot and kicked Seth squarely in the chest, sending the bulky teenager to the ground. As Seth hit the floor mere inches away from the fireplace, Shadow Seth planted his foot on top of Seth's chest, eliciting moans of discomfort.

"**Why don't we start with this whole shindig right here?**" Shadow Seth dramatically raised a hand to the stars and the stone walls, indicating their surroundings with a flush. "**This place's a lot like you, huh?**"

"What?" Shadow Seth coughed, struggling to pry Shadow Seth's foot off of his chest.

"**Do I have to spell it out for you?**" Shadow Seth sighed. "**Big, fancy tower. Real scary and intimidating on the outside. But what happens,**" It probed, digging its heel into Seth's ribs, "**when you take a look on the inside?** **As it turns out, not much. I look like I'm built to move mountains, but therein lies the cruel joke.**" Shadow Seth flexed his arm and then mimicked the noise of a deflating whoopee cushion as he let his arm sink to his waist. "**All that power is just one big façade. This tower and everything in it is one big lie.**"

"Please…" Seth pleaded, "I can't… I need…"

It made Noah sick to his stomach seeing Seth at such a low point. He never realized how high of a pedestal he'd placed Seth on before, but looking at Seth in this light not only made the image he'd built crack. It crashed and burned to the ground in a torrent of fire.

"**Need? Need what? Look at you grovel and beg.**" Shadow Seth said, making no attempts to mask his disgust. "**The others at least had some fight in them but you? You sit there and take it because when push comes to shove, no one knows better than you or I how easy it is to knock you flat on your ass. No one tries because you look like you eat nails for breakfast, but if they did, if they tried… I wonder how long it'd take to pick up the pieces?**"

Shadow Seth looked contemplative, even a little sad, as he watched Seth writhe beneath his foot. "**How much smack did you shoot up tonight, hm?**" Seth stopped moving when those words left Shadow Seth's lips. Noah saw Seth's head turn in his direction, fear and trepidation creeping into his eyes. "**Enough, I guess, to make you think this is some kind of nightmare.** **Enough to make you believe you ODed.**"

"Stop." Seth's struggling began more forceful as the sleep inside of him slowly began to leave his body. "Stop, now. I'll do anything."

"**Anything?**" Shadow Seth tapped his chin thoughtfully and then leaned down, staring Seth straight in his eye. "**Why don't we start by reviewing all of the substances you've ingested—legal and illegal—just this past week?**"

Seth went quiet. Shadow Seth merely laughed.

"**That's what I thought.**" It spat. "**By 'anything', all you meant to say was whatever best served your pathetic agenda to keep your hidden lifestyle a secret. It's over, me! The jig is up! You've got your main man Noah here listening in on all of your shit! And you better believe he's judging the **_**Hell **_**out of you.**"

"Noah," Seth choked, his voice broken with desperation. "Don't listen to him. He's lying. I… Goddamnit, I can't tell what's what anymore! This isn't happening! None of this is happening!"

"_**Now **_**we get to the good part!**" Shadow Seth exclaimed. "**Now you're just like all the rest. Go on. Go on, tell him. Tell him about the self-loathing, the misanthropy, the bullshit mask you put on whenever you step out of your Goddamn door!**"

"Seth…" Noah whispered. "I had no idea…"

"**What kind of man are you,**" Shadow Seth muttered bitterly through gritted teeth, "**That you'd go out of your way to lie and hide who you are from all of these people? How could you take away from all of those friendships like that? We all wear masks. We've all got skeletons in the closet. But you,**" Shadow Seth shook his head and removed his foot from Seth's chest. By that point, Shadow Seth didn't have to. Seth had given up, his eyes shut and his lower lip quivering with unstable emotion. "**You're the worst of the worst. The lowest of the low. The greatest liar Glasswater's ever known.** **And you deserve everything that's coming to you.**"

"Y-You…" It took all of Seth's inner strength not to lose it right then and there. "You're n-not…"

"**What's that?**" Shadow Seth cupped a hand to his ear and smiled. "**Come again?**"

Rather than screaming out, Seth's admission was quiet and tragic. He spoke as if he didn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth. He spoke as if he knew better than to lie, but his heart would not let him.

"You're not me."

"**And there's my ace in the hole. Thanks a lot, bud. I owe me one.**" Shadow Seth pumped his fist and cackled as the fire in the fireplace slowly sizzled to a wispy, black smoke. The only light left came from the stars, a lone pillar of dull white shooting straight through the center of the ceiling. A familiar, red aura enveloped Shadow Seth's body as he laughed, the energy of Seth's negative emotions feeding his raw power. Noah only had eyes for Seth, however, who had since broken down and let salty, crystalline tears cascade down his face.

The aura soon exploded, leaving behind a red mist that only served to make the dome they were in that much more sinister. The barrier separating Noah from Seth and his shadow collapsed. Noah stayed his ground and waited for the mist to clear, however, but his gaze was locked on to Seth the entire time.

At first, there was a low growl. It rumbled and sent chills through Noah's body as it rose higher and higher until it became a vicious, animalistic snarl. Soon, the mist settled and Noah was able to see the monster left behind in Shadow Seth's wake.

Standing there in the circle of light created by the hole in the ceiling was a large, gangly, werewolf-like creature. It stood at an impressive height to be sure, but its arms were thin, twiggy, and so long that they dragged along the floor. Its legs twitched and bent beneath the weight of its sizeable frame. Dark, ragged blue fur covered the creature from head to toe. As with all of the others, Seth's human face was planted on the head rather than that of an actual wolf. Noah avoided staring at it for too long as it made his will to fight shrink with anxiety.

"**I am a Shadow.**" It droned. "**The true self.**"

Shadow Seth reared its head back, its jaw hanging open to reveal sharp, uneven teeth running along charcoal black gums. It let out a guttural howl that pierced Noah's ears and caused him to snap his hands over his head. Noah looked up and saw thick globs of saliva dripping past Shadow Seth's cut lips.

He felt nauseous.

"**This form is ungainly and weak.**" Shadow Seth commented dryly, staring straight ahead at Noah. It frightened him, but he was thankful Shadow Seth was targeting him rather than Seth who was still a shattered mess on the ground in front of the fireplace. "**This form requires sustenance.**"

"Angel!" Noah commanded, crushing the card he'd been holding in his hand. "Hama!"

The beast looked on with subdued interest as a circle of holy light wrapped around his feet. White scraps of paper stuck to his body and then exploded in a burst of bright light that left Shadow Seth completely unharmed. Noah stepped back and glanced at the card's description again, his confusion stunning him into silence.

_Hama: Instantly eliminates an enemy. _

A disclaimer beneath it read, _15% success rate. _

Just as he was about to swear and hurl another spell in Shadow Seth's direction, the werewolf descended upon him, claws scraping along the floor and jaw unhinging.

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | ? | 12:00 AM ]**

Matthew, Robin, and Lucia's trek down the staircase proved foreboding at the very least. At most, uneventful. It plunged through the Earth for an inordinate amount of time, keeping the trio on high alert for any Shadows that may have been harboring their presences in the darkness. Matthew carried a single torch as he led Robin and Lucia who followed closely on either side of him. Robin's Tarukaja spell had worn off long ago and for the time being there was no reason to use it again.

"So," Lucia murmured, shattering the silence and, fortunately, some of the tension, "how well acquainted are you two with Seth?"

"We're best buds." Robin declared.

"We… know each other." Matthew shrugged.

"And yet here you are." Lucia remarked dryly. She let that comment sit before softly blowing air through her nostrils and adding, "I suppose I shouldn't be too harsh on you… at least you're acquainted with him. You and I hadn't even spoken prior."

"It's not like I had much of a choice." Matthew said quietly. "As far as we know, only four people have Personas. Knowing that, I can't just sit back and let people die if I can do something about it." Then he said, in a voice far too law for either Lucia or Robin to hear, "More fun than being a loser."

"That's noble of you," Lucia said, "But I can't say I'd blame you if you didn't. You didn't owe me anything. And that truth applies to Seth as well, I'm sure."

"Actually, I owe Seth a lot." Matthew corrected as he passed a hand over his face. "I just never got around to saying thanks."

"What?" Lucia said with a hint of surprise.

"Well! For starters," Robin interjected, "Matt and I are friends only 'cause 'a Seth. He's kinda' like the glue that stuck us together. Weren't for him, I'd still be goin' nowhere on the fast track to loserville." Robin chuckled to herself, almost as if she were reliving a fond memory. "Now that I think about it, I was a real dickhead to Matt when we first met."

"Are you suggesting," Lucia asked with a playful smirk. "that you aren't still on the fast track to this… loserville?"

"And that you aren't still a dickhead?" Matthew added.

"Lay off you jackasses!" Robin snapped. "_I_ think I'm pretty well-behaved!"

"Such profanity." Lucia said, shaking her head with disapproval. "If only Noah were here. He may have saved you from your Shadow but he certainly didn't save you from your love of vulgar language."

Sufficiently provoked, Robin turned on a dime with a ferocious snarl on her lips. "If only Noah were here to surgically remove the stick up your ass!"

_And here I thought we were all supposed to be friends. _Matthew thought, rolling his eyes and following the curve of the staircase. _Silly me. Noah would have a fit if he saw them fighting again like this. _

Eventually, the staircase came to an end. What was waiting for them at the end went far beyond any of their expectations.

It was a grand hallway with incredible, impossibly tall stone pillars and extensively decorated tapestries. There were hundreds of colossal, carved indents on the left and right walls that housed massive, intricately built statues. The statues on the left resembled warrior archetypes and the statues opposite of them looked much more indecipherable and much more foreboding. A ceiling to the hallway did not exist, as far as they could tell. The pillars seemed to extend into a limitless blackness that was as eerily beautiful as it was chilling. Running through the center between the pillars was a crimson red carpet leading up to a throne of unearthly design.

"What on earth is this?" Lucia said. "A throne room?"

Thick, sturdy roots crisscrossed the floor like a web, forcing the trio to navigate the tangled wood with care. Matthew stepped onto the carpet and looked further down at the throne. On closer inspection, he noticed that the throne was fashioned from the very same roots he maneuvered himself around. The build of the throne was large and oddly regal in a Spartan sense, but it was also rough and uninviting.

"Some of these statues are different from the others." Matthew said. "The ones closest to the throne over there… their eyes are lit up."

Lucia moved around one of the pillars and followed Matthew's line of sight. As he had stated, the eyes of some of the statues were glowing.

"Blue." Lucia hummed. She looked at the statues opposite and noticed something else. "None of the statues on the opposite wall seem to share this feature, but then again," She turned around and frowned at the endless parade of statues running opposite of the throne. "There are dozens of them here. Forgive me but I must reiterate, what _is _this place?"

"I don't know." Matthew sighed, following the carpet until he was standing at the base of the mini-staircase leading up to the throne. "But… I feel like we aren't supposed to be here. Like, this place is making me feel really, really nervous." Robin opened her mouth to make a comment, but Matthew clarified, "More than usual, I mean."

"I feel the same." Lucia nodded. "Perhaps we should return to the ground floor."

Robin's muscles suddenly tensed up and she dug her feet into the ground.

"Yo, we ain't alone." Robin warned, removing her bat from her shoulder. "There's somebody—or some_thing_—in here. It's… it's watchin' us." Robin shut her eyes and whispered, "Persona."

Skadi materialized behind her shoulder and aimed her arrow, a golden cone enveloping the area in front of her as before. She traced the immediate area around them for anyone hiding in the shadows. With a bit of hesitation, Robin directed the cone upwards towards the ceiling. The darkness was illuminated for a certain distance, but the blackness extended far beyond the reach of Skadi's scanning range.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Oh, shit." Robin whirled around to face the staircase, her pulse shooting straight through the roof.

"What?" Matthew asked, apprehension creeping into his voice. "What's wrong?"

Intentional or not, the hallway had been a distraction. Robin had forgotten something important during their journey into the belly of the beast. She didn't know if she could still contact him. Her abilities were foreign to her, and the limits of those very abilities doubly so.

_How long's it been since we came down here? _Robin thought to herself in a panic. _Fuck, how long!?_

"_Noah?_" She called to him desperately. The seconds ticked by until they became minutes and her apprehension evolved into alarm. "_That dumbass didn't… he wouldn't… Noah!?_"

With a strained curse, Robin burst into a sprint up the staircase, leaving behind a very perplexed looking Matthew and Lucia.

One of the statues on the wall opposite of the statues with the glowing blue eyes stirred.

It was too dark for Robin to notice Seth's labyrinth decay around her.

**[] [] []**

**[ September 3****rd****, 2012 | Seth's Labyrinth – Final Floor | 12:00 AM ]**

Shadow Seth's claw slid along the ground, rising up and hitting Noah right under his chin. Noah went airborne and as he did, he found it difficult to tell which stars were real and which stars were created from the impact of Shadow Seth's opening strike. When he landed, Shadow Seth roared and planted his knuckles on the ground, using them to propel his lower body along the ground towards Noah.

_What the fuck!? _Noah thought. _Is it a werewolf or a silverback gorilla? _

He threw his body out of Shadow Seth's path, crushing the Angel card once again.

"Garu!" Noah shouted.

Thin, but powerful jets of wind shot from somewhere within Angel's body. The gusts of wind glanced off of Shadow Seth's body, apparently irritating him more than it injured him. Noah's suspicions were confirmed when Shadow Seth pivoted on the spot, whirling its body around like a top as its long, languid arms spun around it like blades on a fan.

_Shit, shit, shit! _Noah panicked. He back away as fast as he could, shifting through the cards in his hands until he landed on the Saki Mitama he'd received earlier. A quick glance through the Persona's ability list yielded nothing immediately useful until he spotted a skill of particular interest at the bottom of the card. He raised his hand as Shadow Seth's arms advanced closer and closer.

"Sukunda!"

A sickly, debilitating yellow wrapped itself tightly around Shadow Seth's body. Just before the moment of impact, Shadow Seth's balance wobbled and his spinning arms bounced, giving Noah just enough time to roll beneath the onslaught onto the werewolf's opposite side. Shadow Seth roared with impatience as he forced himself to a stop, his balance off-kilter and his arms wildly flailing around him.

_Now's my chance! _

"Odin!" Noah commanded, crushing the card that came most naturally to him. "Cleave!"

Odin appeared and lunged forward, swinging Gungnir in a wide arc that slammed into Shadow Seth's gut. The beast screeched in pain as Odin's weapon drew blood. Shadow Seth toppled over and scrambled to find a purchase. Finding none, it fell and became intensely vulnerable.

Noah didn't waste any time. "Finish him, Odin! Zionga!"

A bolt from the blue descended upon Shadow Seth from the ceiling, channeling millions of volts through the creature's body. Shadow Seth's howl suggested that things were coming to a close but to Noah's dismay, the werewolf slammed its palms on the stone floor and used it as an anchor to right itself. It shook its head violently, spittle flying every which way as if it were shaking off all of the damage Noah had just dealt it.

Noah prepared to deal the monstrosity another crippling Zionga, but Shadow Seth struck first. With a terrible, mighty roar, the werewolf-human hybrid raised its fist and then brought it crashing back down to the floor.

At first there was nothing and Noah simply took it as an act of aggression, but he was sorely mistaken. He moved forward to crush his card but a massive protrusion of rock exploded beneath his feet and slammed hard into his gust, flinging him against the far wall. Noah's back collided and his breath dropped out of his lungs making it impossible to breathe as he slid to the floor.

His vision went hazy as Shadow Seth surged forward. He raised his hand but no words came out of his mouth. A weak cry escaped his lips as he felt Shadow Seth's large, meaty hand wrap around his torso and pry him off of the wall like a fly. Shadow Seth raised his hand and threw Noah against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

_I can't do this alone. _Noah realized. _Why did I come here alone? Why didn't I wait? _He dropped to the ground again and panted, every breath taking a massive requiring a massive input of energy from him. His strength was fading, and it was fading fast.

Shadow Seth's hand picked him up off the floor and Noah knew he was going to die. He warily threw his gaze to the door and some small portion of him hoped that someone—anyone—would come through and save him from Shadow Seth's clutches. It was a fleeting desire and one that would go un-granted as Seth threw him into the middle of the room beneath the light of the moon coming in through the ceiling.

Noah rolled so that he was facing upwards, gasping with shock. His body felt completely numb, as if a doctor had just pumped him full of anesthetics. He didn't even feel it when Shadow Seth stood over his body and hammered his face in with his fists. He was sure that he was an unrecognizable mess by this point. He was afraid to look at his own body for fear that it might cause him to vomit, or worse, die. The pulse of his heart was weak. His will was even weaker.

Noah turned his face and hoped that it would be over soon. He had lost. It was tough to accept, but he was alone and there was nothing he could do about it. He reasoned that, at the very least, complete loss of feeling would make his passing into eternity that much easier.

Right before Noah shut his eyes for the last time, he noticed his cards spread out across the ground. There they were. All of the Personas and items just out of reach except for one or two. They were supposed to aid him in his fight against the Shadows, weren't they? He knew that he had no excuse. He went into this fight alone and he was paying the ultimate price for his stupidity. But he could not help but feel a deep regret for all the things he wanted to do, all the people he would leave behind, everything…

Angel, Saki Mitama, Soul Drop, Medicines, Goho-M…

…And a Bead.

Noah's eyes were failing him but he could still see well enough to read the description.

_Restores user to full health. _

_Restores… _Noah thought, dumbly. _To full health?_

By some God-given miracle, the card was the only one within reach. Noah's heart swelled and he pulled it in, ignoring the pools of blood seeping through his clothes and spreading around his body. The fingers on his mangled hand closed around it.

Golden light enveloped his body from head to toe. He felt stronger, lighter, faster, _healthier _than he had in ages. Noah flexed his fingers and smiled. Every portion of his body was accounted for. He looked up and cringed as Shadow Seth's fist came with dangerous proximity of his face. Noah jerked his head left as Shadow Seth's pulverization tool embedded itself within rock. The monster made a confused sound as Noah took the opportunity to slide out from beneath Shadow Seth, Odin's tarot card in hand.

"Odin!" Noah roared. "Zionga!"

When the first bolt hit, Noah didn't wait for Shadow Seth to recover. "Zionga!"

Another. Noah could hardly believe it. He was actually going to conquer a Shadow self on his own. The thought alone was like a Tarukaja in and of itself, and he crushed Odin's card once more as the second bolt struck Shadow Seth's writhing body. "Zionga!" Noah didn't know how many more he had in him, but he continued nevertheless. He would continue until he had none left, until he was completely spent. One Zionga after the other.

By the time Noah was finished, Shadow Seth's body was still. Gasping with exhaustion, Noah approached the charred beast, his hand outstretched. He clambered atop of Shadow Seth's chest and glared down at it with a look of utter derision. Noah shattered the tarot card in his hand.

Odin appeared and did as Noah bid, embedding Gungnir straight through Shadow Seth's chest.

He stood there for a while. He didn't let himself breathe. Not, at least, until he was absolutely certain that victory was in his hands. He waited for several minutes until the reality of the situation sunk in.

Noah had won. Alone.

Clapping suddenly sounded from the direction of the fireplace.

Confused, Noah looked up.

_What? _Noah thought with horror.

Shadow Seth rose from the chair. The fire in the fireplace was still burning. Yet the chair next to Shadow Seth's was empty. Seth was nowhere to be found.

Unless…

Time seemed to move in slow motion as the mental gears in Noah's mind clicked into place, the horrifying realization of what he had just done encroaching upon him like a hand slowly wrapping around his throat. He denied it at first. It was a trick of the light. Another illusion. Another game Shadow Seth must have been playing in order to deter his morale, catch him when he was weak so he could strike him down and claim victory.

But Noah knew.

The person lying beneath him was not Shadow Seth.

The one he had just struck down—mercilessly and savagely gored through the chest with Gungnir—was none other than Seth himself.

_No… _

Rough, torn coughs first. "I-It's okay, Noah." All of the strength in Noah's arms left him as his Persona faded into a transcendental, blue mist. Noah felt a cold hand rest against his face and he felt the sudden urge to vomit. But he couldn't. Not on the fading teenager below him. "D-Don't blame your—" Spurts of thick, crimson blood second.

"**I **_**said **_**this tower and everything in it was a lie.**" Shadow Seth's voice was omniscient, pervading through the room like a siren. "**You should not have taken that lightly.**"

"This isn't fair…" Noah murmured. His voice rose to a strangled scream. "This isn't _fair_!"

"**Fair?**" Shadow Seth laughed but otherwise stayed rooted to the spot. "**The very **_**second **_**you walked into here it was decided who was going to leave here with the golden trophy. I'm going to let you in on a little secret, Noah.**" Shadow Seth paused. "**I have a **_**God **_**on my side! You strode in here because you are weak. Your heart is weak. Your soul is weak. The bonds you share are weak and easily severed. Everything about you screams mediocrity. And it was because of your weaknesses that you were manipulated. And now look at what you've done. Look at what _you _did. The stench of his blood will never wash from your hands.**"

Noah's lips quivered as he looked down at Seth's chest. There was a large, gaping hole left behind where Odin had struck him down. As if to add insult to injury, the rest of Seth's body was in a terrible state of disrepair. His face, his arms, his hands, his legs, his feet—all past the point of recovery. Noah didn't know how Seth could even speak to him. He looked at the pool of crimson red beneath Seth. His eyes went further out and a tear rolled down his cheek. Noah reached into his pocket and looked through his deck.

_No… _

Angel. Saki Mitama. Pixie.

_God, no… _

Medicine. Medicine. Soul Drop. Life Stone.

_Please, God… _

Bead.

An anguished scream tore through the room. Noah snatched the Life Stone off of the ground and crushed it between his fingers, the tips of his nails biting hard into his skin. A holy ray of light engulfed Seth's lifeless body. Noah watched and waited for a sign. Any sign.

But Seth never woke.

"**He never accepted me.**" Shadow Seth chuckled, easing itself into one of the chairs. "**How can you bring him back when a part of him is still missing?**" The demonic entity gazed about the room and smiled as the walls began to undo themselves. Carpet replaced cobblestone. Piece by piece, Seth's apartment gradually regressed. "**Oh well. Not like it matters now. Time has run out.**"

The time on Noah's cell phone lurched to 12:01.

"This isn't happening..." Noah wept, cradling Seth's head in his lap.

"**Noah Scofield**," Shadow Seth declared proudly, "**You have my eternal gratitude. May the demons in Hell and the angels in Heaven mark this day as the day you and you **_**alone**_** brought the Earth one step closer towards its self-immolation. When the winds of destruction sweep across the land and the church bells ring their final toll, the survivors of the wreckage will call your name and you will be remembered as the one who sacrificed the lamb. Hark! You have been chosen, einherjar! The world is watching.**"

His form disintegrated from the feet up into a black dust that spread across the room and disappeared into the rays of light shining from the moon. A terrible smile was the last thing to disappear.

Slowly, but surely, the world shifted back to its natural state. Noah didn't even realize that Matthew, Robin, and Lucia were standing behind him. He didn't notice Robin's hand on his shoulder. He didn't notice Lucia asking him what had happened. He didn't notice Matthew pulling him up and away from Seth's body. He didn't notice the scattered bottles of medication strewn across the floor. He didn't notice the syringe on Seth's bedside stand. He didn't notice the pungent smell of misery and decay. He didn't notice any of it.

The only thing he saw—through tunnel vision stained with the heat of his passion, his anger—was Seth lying on the ground: bloodless, still, and silent as the grave. No signs of a struggle. No sign of Odin's Gungnir. No sign of anything. His heart thundered in his chest like a legion of wild stallions roaring down an empty cavern. Hot tears sprung up at the edges of his eyes.

A terrible, angry, bloodcurdling roar erupted from Noah. Raw and uninhibited.

Matthew nearly dropped Noah out of shock.

And for one brief, but disturbing, fleeting moment, Robin could have sworn she saw something flash from Noah's body. Like an aura, blood-red and pulsing.

Seth died that night.

No amount of self-loathing, hatred, regret, or sadness would change that bitter truth.

Faith's lips parted as the red light around his name in her compendium sizzled out and became charcoal black.

* * *

**[Social Links: (new!)]**

_Fool (The Team): 4__  
__Magician (Matthew): __3  
__Justice (Robin): 3__  
__Emperor (Griffith): 2__  
__Priestess (Lucia): 4__  
__Strength (Alice): 0__  
__Sun (Grace): 1__  
__Devil (Nathaniel): 2__  
__Moon (David): __2_**  
**_Hermit (Monica): __2  
__Lovers (Maria): 1__  
__Hanged Man (Christopher): 1__  
__**(!) **_**Tower (Seth): Deceased**_  
__Chariot (Arthur + Amber): 1__  
__Temperance (Catherine + Robert): 4__  
__Hierophant (Samuel): 1__  
__Death (Gwendolyn): __2_


End file.
